WOKINGHAM grandparents have walked more than 1,400 miles in five months for a cancer charity supporting their granddaughter.
Nick and Jenni McDonagh have walked 10 miles a day since November, to raise funds for CLIC Sargent — which is supporting one-year-old Emily.
In November 2019, Emily was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukaemia at five weeks old.
Just before Christmas the family found out that Emily was no longer in remission — and she is currently receiving further treatment at Great Ormond Street Hospital.
The couple started walking to keep themselves busy while Emily was receiving treatment. Their initial goal was 540 miles by Christmas Eve, but this grew to walking the distance between CLIC Sargent’s 10 Homes from Home across the UK, an additional 480 miles.
At each virtual stop, they also donated £50 worth of vouchers to the Home to help families staying there.
“Emily’s cancer is a step-by-step journey,” Jenni says. “And our walk mirrors that. It’s not easy but we remind ourselves it’s for Emily, and just keep going, one foot in front of the other.
“We wanted to raise as much money as possible for this wonderful charity because cancer really turns families’ lives upside down and we want CLIC Sargent to be there to support every family who needs them.”
CLIC Sargent’s Homes from Home provide a free place for families to stay while their child undergoes treatment for cancer.
Lisa Terry, house manager at CLIC Court in Oxford, said: “We’re extremely grateful to Jenni and Nick for their kind donation. The families that use our accommodation always appreciate the services we provide and the huge generosity of our donors.
“Our homes always try to provide everything the family may require during their stay to make it as comfortable as possible during hard times. Through donations, we can stock up our family cupboards with food goods like pasta, tinned soup, biscuits, long life milk, and toiletries. These tend to be a godsend for families when they have to be accommodated quickly and have nothing with them or forgotten items.”
Last year in Berkshire CLIC Sargent supported 88 families and gave out 56 financial grants to the value of £10,270 helping families to cope with the costs of cancer.
The charity found that families with a child on active treatment spend an extra £600 a month.
Rose Bailey, CLIC Sargent fundraising engagement manager for Berkshire, said the charity is grateful to Nick and Jenni for their personal donations, and their walking challenge.
“They are such inspirations,” she said. “The money they are raising is going to have a huge impact on young cancer patients and their families going through the toughest of times.”
For more information, or to support Nick and Jenni’s fundraising challenge visit: www.justgiving.com/fundraising/granni-and-grumps.
