Kelly is training for the Edinburgh Christmas 10K which takes place on 5th December in honour of her niece.
“My amazing niece is currently undergoing chemotherapy in Glasgow Sick Kids Hospital for acute myeloid leukaemia. It is a gruelling treatment and she will be staying in hospital for the duration of her treatment including her first birthday.
Inspired by her amazing strength and gorgeous smile despite everything I decided I wanted to get my bum off the chair and raise some money for one of the amazing charities that have reached out to my sister and her family. I have not run in many years and can barely run to the end of the road so thought a 10K run on mine and Anna’s birthday weekend in December was the challenge I needed.
When I heard about the amazing work of Give A Duck I decided they were perfect. Give A Duck provide Chemo Ducks to children undergoing treatment and companion ducks to siblings. Chemo Duck is fitted with medical lines and ports to mirror those of the child. Play Leaders, through play therapy use Chemo Duck to prepare children for their treatment, be it an appointment with their Consultant, administering chemotherapy or taking blood samples. Children feel they can take back some control at a time when they have very little, for example by suggesting that nurses clean the duck’s Hickman Line or Portacath before their own. Things are less scary if Chemo Duck experiences the treatment the children will go through and provides a relaxed way to have discussions about what will happen to them in hospital.
Each Duck costs £25 so I have set a target of funding 20 ducks. Please give what you can to support this great charity and help me keep up my training to make sure I make it to the end of the run.” – Kelly
Sponsor Kelly here: https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/Kelly-White2021
Good luck Kelly, we’ll be cheering you on from Yorkshire and sending bundles of energy to keep you running to cross the finish line!
