West Country family of six to swim the
Channel for charity.
<< Back to home
Two generations of the FitzHenry family are joining forces to swim the Channel at the end of July in aid
of charities which are particularly dear to them. This is a first for all of them and a real challenge as
some of them normally only swim when on holiday.
Paul and his brothers David and Neal are joined by Paul's sons Lee, Daniel and Craig in this effort
which they hope will raise a great deal of money for their chosen Charities.
David told his brothers that they had either caught the
sun or had too much Devon cider when they told him
of the idea of swimming the channel for charity. David
takes to the water when on holiday and then only if it's
warm. He with his wife Lesley came into contact with
'ELF' Exeter Leukaemia fund when Leslie's mother
was diagnosed with Aplastic Anaemia and was treated
at the Haematology unit at the Royal Devon and Exeter
Hospital. " When Ann was taken ill we were all devastated; now as she is slowly recovering we wanted to do something to say thank you for the
wonderful treatment she has received and we immediately thought of ELF".
Neal along with the whole FitzHenry family were shaken when they heard the news that his favourite
Aunt Shelagh went to see her doctor when she returned home to Adelaide from her last trip to
England, as she wasn't feeling herself. I'll let Neal tell you what happened and what prompted him in
his choice of charity when they decided to do the Channel swim "ALS is something none of us had
heard of : I now know it is a form of Motor Neurone Disease which is a hideous disease which is
progressively disabling. Aunt Shelagh has even been to China for Stem Cell treatment to try to slow the
effects of the disease. Supporting the MND Association is one way as a family we can do something to
help find new treatments and maybe one day a cure."
Paul told me that his choice of charity "is the one Charity that my mother-in-law supported more than
any other, before she sadly passed away. 'Rays of Sunshine' is the organisation that tries to grant
terminally ill children their life long wish."
Paul's choice is also the main choice of his children who are Swimming the Channel for Charity along
with him and their uncles. Lee speaking for Daniel and Craig as well said that "all three of the charities
have effected not only their family but also friends of theirs either directly or indirectly. We are also looking forward to showing the 'oldies' how it should be done, and expect to swim twice as many
miles during our time in the water, as Dad and our uncles".
Speaking as a family they said that— "we all face challenges in our lives but for most people the challenges pale in to insignificance when compared to those faced by sufferers of Motor Neurone Disease, Leukaemia or terminally ill children and their parents".
The swimmers will all face their own challenges during the swim, the cold, the knowledge that they are
many miles from land, boredom and disorientation, exhaustion especially for the holiday swimmers.
For one it will be the fear of sharks which are sometimes seen during a swim, for another jellyfish.
They are united in saying that all of it is worth it if they can raise thousands of pounds for the Charities
through sponsorship.
Who benefits?
Exeter Leukaemia Fund
David's mother-in-law Ann was diagnosed with
Aplastic anaemia last year, since then the support
and care she has received during her treatment has
been tremendous and this coupled with their
groundbreaking research into furthering the
improvement in diagnosing and treating Leukaemia
makes it easy for me, in a very small way, to support
their vital work
In 1996 ELF embarked upon an ambitious project to set up state-of-the-art molecular genetic tests at the newly opened Molecular Genetics Laboratory at the
Royal Devon & Exeter Hospital.
Leukaemia was a bolt out of the blue for me and the treatment not only affected me but everyone close to me. And it is only since going through this myself I realise what people before me have been through and what, unfortunately, people in the future will go through.
Motor Neurone Disease Association
Last year we received the sad and sobering news
that one of our favourite aunts has been diagnosed with Motor Neurone Disease (the same
disease that Professor Stephen Hawkins has). It's
a terrible degenerative disease that sees the body
weaken and waste away leaving the sufferer
trapped in their otherwise unaffected minds. Shelagh is someone
full of the spirit of life and a joy to be around and for us the
tragedy is compounded because she lives in Australia and there is
a real danger she may not be well enough to ever make the journey to England again.
The Motor Neurone Disease Association does fantastic work in
supporting those with MND and the families and carers around
them. It also funds and promotes research into understanding,
diagnosing and treating this devastating disease.
Rays of Sunshine Children's Charity
We have chosen this charity not only for the
obvious reasons but also as it is one the that
Paul's mother in law supported before she
sadly passed away
Rays of Sunshine Children's Charity was formed in
2004 to help seriously and terminally ill children between the ages of 3-18, across
the United Kingdom. It does this by:
1. Granting these children's wishes however impossible the wish may
seem
2. Purchasing equipment such as electric wheelchairs or hoists to make
their lives easier
3. Helping hospitals, hospices and specialist schools improve their
facilities
With your help and support together we can turn wishes into happy memories.
Showing your support
ELF with the agreement of the other charities has agreed to be the online collection centre. The
donations will be split equally between the charities after the swim. The only costs to be paid out of the donations is for the essential safety equipment required to be
allowed to make the swim i.e the boat, pilot, registration etc.
For further information and to support the family's efforts, please contact ELF on 01392 493344 - or click here to pledge a donation.
Another way is to sign the official sponsorship forms and donate cash or cheques. Contact us on 01392 493344 for full details.
Exeter Leukemia Fund's 20th Anniversary
On 22 October 1987 the Deed of Trust establishing Exeter Leukaemia Fund as a Charity was signed and registered. More than £4 million has been contributed to Haematology treatment at the RD&E since and the Haematology Centre, for which ELF two thirds of the funding (£1.5 million), is recognised as one of the best in Europe.
A number of special events have taken place and are being organised to celebrate 20 Years of ELF. Events will incorporate the 20 Years of ELF brand and special logo and culminate with ELF’s 21st Birthday Party in October. It is hoped that this year of celebration will raise a substantial sum which will be used to enhance patient care; refurbish the gardens at the Centre and fund new research building on the diagnostic tests already delivered which can only enhance the treatment of leukaemia and related disorders.
