St Albans teenagers doing Pretty Muddy to help friend with cancer
Team Ellie pictured with Ellie (back row, middle). - Credit: Archant
Schoolfriends are teaming together to raise money for charity after their friend was diagnosed with cancer at only 13 years old.
Olivia Stevenson, Jenna Hutton, Alice Rose, Tai Stojanovic, Kayra Karakus, Amy Narramore, Jade Albert and Abby Simpkin, who are all in Year 8 at Marlborough Science Academy, heard in February their friend Ellie Brewer had leukaemia - blood cancer.
She is currently having bone marrow transplants and chemotherapy to try and beat the disease.
In response the group, coining themselves Team Ellie, are taking part in a muddy obstacle course called Pretty Muddy Watford 5K to raise money for Cancer Research UK - so far, they have collected about £2,000.
It is an obstacle course in which runners, over 13 years old, get covered in mud - the group of friends are so keen to get involved, some of them are turning 13 only weeks before the event.
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Loraine Brewer, Ellie’s mum, said: “It is wonderful that Ellie’s friends have chosen to take part in the event to help raise funds for the charity that is supporting us throughout this particularly difficult time.”
She cannot compete alongside her friends because of the medical problems, but has been supporting them in training and helping them pick out coloured tu-tus.
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Ellie thanked her friends: “When I heard that my school friends had decided to take part in Pretty Muddy, I felt very much supported and that my friends really cared. They want to help me and others in my position.”
Headteacher at the Marlborough, Annie Thomson, said she was proud: “Their efforts to support their friend by raising funds to support the prevention of cancer are most impressive.”
According to their charity, Cancer Research UK, there were 356,860 new cases of cancer diagnosed in 2014 and 163,444 people died from the illness.
Money donated to the cause will help to fund research for scientists, doctors and nurses, and provide cancer information to the public - including symptom recognition.
To find out more about the charity, click here.
Team Ellie’s event is on June 10. To donate, click here.
