The mission statement of the Owen McVeigh Foundation is: ‘We Raise Funds For Children With Cancer to Create Life Memories’ and wow did we make some amazing memories because of the foundation! At the age of 13, Isabella was diagnosed on 20th April 2021 with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukaemia. We contacted Mark McVeigh (founder) after being told about the foundation by a friend and colleague and within 15 minutes he had responded with a whole host of opportunities for Isabella and us as a family. During her 15 months of treatment she attended a variety of days out and experiences including; numerous concerts, Everton matches, Monster Trucks event, Beauty and the Beast, Comic Con, Blackpool Pleasure Beach, LakeDistrict holidays, hotel visits, meals out, a puppet show in Sefton Park and the one that started it all- the boat trip on the Mersey.

When offered this original trip, Isabella had only just been discharged from hospital after having failed chemotherapy treatments and major surgery culminating in a 3 week ICU stay. She was predominantly in a wheelchair and on more drugs than you could imagine for a 13 year old. To say we were apprehensive is an understatement. This whole new world to which we had to adjust had opened up before us and whilst we wanted Isabella to lead as full of a life as possible, the potential risks and adaptations we would all have to make were enormous and incredibly scary.

Mark called us a couple of days before to reassure us and offer a meal out and a hotel stay to make things more comfortable for Isabella. She was so excited planning her outfit as we had sleepless nights. This trip, which we thought could be disastrous, gave us, as a family, the confidence to do more and more, to get out of our comfort zones and try new things, to manage to plan for a child in a wheelchair, to be fearless and brave as Isabella would have wanted. The impact that this charity had on us is phenomenal and we will be forever grateful. Thank you to Mark, Jo and all at Owen McVeigh Foundation.

Donate in the name of our brave and fearless warrior girl as you will change people’s lives.

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