Dawn's tutoring of Avalon, the little girl in the photo, has made us aware of the excellent care that Ward 84 at Manchester Children’s Hospital provides for children with cancer, and their families. However, even more is possible with additional funding.

To look at Avalon now it is hard to believe that she ever had cancer but, at the age of eight, this will be her first full year at school. She is a bright, loveable, mischievous girl who loves her running and any outdoor activity.

We know Avalon through her Mum, Jess, who was a student at the school where I was Headteacher.  Years later we reconnected through Facebook and I was delighted to discover she had worked hard to gain a degree and was working as a Mental Health Nurse. Moreover, she had a partner and a daughter, Avalon. 

All was going well until, in Jess’ words:

 “I noticed Avalon’s face was getting chubbier and one morning, getting her dressed, I noticed her chest veins were more prominent. Very quickly we were sent to Oldham Royal hospital where tests suggested she had a lymphoma. They said that she had a mass on her chest that was putting pressure on her blood vessels causing her face to swell. We were then taken by ambulance to Manchester Children's Hospital. She was diagnosed with T cell lymphoblastic lymphoma.

Avalon never really presented as unwell even when we were admitted to Ward 84. The next year was the most horrifying year for all of us. Avalon had to endure so much pain and, in my eyes, torture from drugs and the interventions that were saving her life. Chemotherapy, steroids, x-rays, MRIs, blood and platelet transfusions, many pokes for blood, lumber punctures, ICU, five times in theatre for Hickman and PICC lines. She became unwell rapidly; we both feared the worst many times. These memories that still haunt me today.

Thankfully though, because of our amazing NHS, Avalon is two years in remission and rang that bell in February 2020. She's an inspiration to us”.

Avalon's story can be found here. www.jukegroup.com/Avalon.mp4

However, with cancer and Covid, Avalon missed three years of school. Dawn offered to tutor her twice a week and Avalon is quickly catching up.

All this was possible because of Ward 84 at Manchester Children’s Hospital. Please support our Charity Ride so that other children can be helped too. Thank you.