24/05/2021
THE FULL STORY
DEVON, aged just 11, is planning to cycle from her home in Bridport, Dorset to Gretna Green in Scotland. Using her spinning bike, each evening she cycles for as long as she can, until she totals 295miles - the distance from her home to Scotland as the crow flies.
Devon, who has issues with her mobility, was encouraged by the story of Captain Tom Moore, that she could achieve something great if she put her mind to it.
Due to issues with her limbic system and dyspraxia, Devon struggles with balance, coordination, special awareness, and depth perception. Climbing, running, walking long distances, and even tying her shoelaces is difficult. Despite this, she is determined to raise money for a family in need and overcome her own challenges.
She cycles on her bike every evening. Starting at just 10 minutes, she now cycles 30 minutes each day, increasing her challenge by one minute each week. She has so far cycled a total of 70 miles.
She has chosen to raise money for a family friend, Chloe Evans-Lippett who has a severe chronic and potentially life limiting illness.
Chloe has Ehlers Danlos Syndrome, which is a very, very cruel disease.
10 years ago, she could run around and play with her daughter, she baked, sewed, and grew vegetables. Chloe was a highly active mum. Her favourite thing to do, was to walk through the fields with her child on her back to local beach - something which the disease has taken away from her.
Over the past 10 years she has lost the ability to walk, started having seizures and had an ileostomy bag fitted after she had her colon removed. Her stomach has now been sewn to her intestines and she has to use disposable catheters. For 3 years Chloe was fed via a peg feeding tube into her stomach. When that failed, she was put on Total Parenteral Nutrition. A line was placed through Chloe’s chest into an artery to her heart for nutrition.
Due to pneumonia, she has scarring in her lungs and over the course of a year, Chloe has had sepsis three times.
Chloe was readmitted to hospital last week with sepsis and a dangerously high heart rate. Up until now her heart was one of the only organs in her body not to be affected.
To make her situation even worse, her wonderful husband Tony is currently going through chemotherapy for bladder cancer, which he attends once a week, an hour away from their home. Tony has had many surgeries to remove over 30 tumours.
Tony is Chloe's carer and helps to care for their wonderful child.
As a family, their income is seriously limited, despite government help. It costs Tony £35 a week to visit Chloe and £20 to attend Chemo. An additional £55 a week the family has to somehow find.
Chloe is in need of financial support for her family and to access counselling and alternative therapies for her wonderful child, in addition to covering the costs of hospital trips and travel.
Please give whatever you can.
