Story
Hi, I am Skye Vurnum, I am 16. My close friend Abi Lees and I have spontaneously decided to walk the length of a marathon (26.2 miles) along our coastline (adhering to all official government guidelines) in the honour of the Demelza Hospice Care for Children as it is a charity that is extremely close to mine and my families heart.
I have an older brother and sister, however sadly, before I was born, my brother Connor passed away at the age of 4 due to ongoing health conditions from birth. Demelza House brought an immense amount of happiness, support, love and care to him and my family when it mattered most, before and after he passed. Whether this be with their amazing specialist facilities to ensure that Connor was safe and happy, or having someone that my family could talk to for advice or bereavement support. My family and I have a very special place in our hearts for Demelza and we can’t thank them enough for what they have and continue to do for us. Also, even though I wasn’t born when this happened and sadly didn’t get to meet my big brother, I owe a great deal of gratitude to them for giving me the reassurance that, despite his illnesses, he was able to lead a happy life despite it being short lived.
Therefore, when one of my closest friends, Abi Lees wanted to walk a marathon, we thought it would be an ideal opportunity to raise money for a charity, I knew this would be the perfect opportunity for me to owe it not only to Demelza but to my brother. In fact, since I was small, I’ve wanted to do a skydive for the same cause and was due to once I turned 16. However, due to the current circumstances that was, of course, unable to go ahead. I am extremely grateful for Abi for being so supportive, suggesting this crazy idea and for allowing me to dedicate this marathon walk to raising money for Demelza.
Due to the coronavirus pandemic being very evident this past year, funding for Demelza has been significantly impacted due to them only being a local charity. It breaks my heart to think that families, like ours, may not have access to the facilities and support that is crucial during times of need.
As the 20th of February 2021 marks 18 years since we lost Connor, we have decided that this would be a poignant date for us to carry out our marathon walk. We will be documenting our progress and mileage along the way with video and photo evidence in order to keep you updated. Any and all donations will be greatly appreciated. Thank you for supporting us and Demelza 💙