'girlies raising hope' is a new and exciting voluntary fundraising team that aims to help raise awareness and money for Cherry Lodge Cancer Care in High Barnet by supporting their members.

Our aim is to raise awareness and money to help Cherry Lodge members, by offering them a pamper pack full of non toxic body care products, to support them and essentially ‘raise their hope’ during this difficult time.

Our goal is to put a smile on member’s faces and to raise hope and awareness.

Our story:

In 2010 at the young age of 25, Christella was diagnosed with stage 4 Burkitt’s Lymphoma. Within a couple of weeks of diagnosis she had major surgery and went into hospital to start intensive chemotherapy treatment, which lasted for a total of five months. Throughout these five months Christella lived at the University College Hospital in London. The treatment made her feel extremely unwell and destroyed her immune system.

Christella was lucky enough to have the support from her friends and family who decided to raise money, so she could purchase some toxic free products to help support her immune system and to buy herself something nice to raise her hope. She also received Reflexology and Reiki healing from therapists working at the hospital on a weekly basis.

Christella registered as a member at Cherry Lodge Cancer Care early on in her journey. Christella received complementary therapies, support and advice on a regular basis from Cherry Lodge. Cherry Lodge made Christella feel safe and secure and made her realise that throughout her journey and thereafter she would always have their support.

In October 2010 Christella went into remission and remains cancer free. Christella has passed her teacher training and is currently working in a primary school in Hertfordshire. With the support of her close friends and family, Christella, her friend Anna and her two sisters have become a fundraising team called ‘girlies raising hope’.

‘girlies raising hope’ look forward to supporting Cherry Lodge members and helping Cherry Lodge in sustaining their extraordinary work and raising awareness of such a wonderful charity.