Evie was 16yrs old and had just started college when she was diagnosed with Rhabdomyosarcoma, a large tumour was found hiding behind Evie's heart, causing her swallowing problems and multiple blood clots. Evie spent most of her stay at the BRI in ITU and on the Teenage Cancer Trust unit, she passed away just three weeks after her diagnosis.

​

Due to the complications that the tumour had caused, Evie's legs became very swollen, and Evie required a wheelchair to maintain what independence she had left. Unfortunately, the hospital did not have any self-propelled wheelchairs for Evie to use at this time, which on top of everything was beyond devastating to Evie.

 

As a family we bought Evie a wheelchair, we decorated it with Ivy and fairy lights, and the smile it put onto Evie's face at such a horrific time was just beyond words. Having a wheelchair meant she could go to the bathroom by herself and to the café with her boyfriend/work colleagues and her family while she was still able.

​

Our last meal as a family with Evie was in the café in the Bristol Heart Institute where she wheeled herself too, we laughed all the way because she was not the best driver. Without the chair we would not have been able to make that last memory with her. 

​

As Evie's mum I know that Evie would never want any young person to go without a wheelchair like she

nearly had too. We also appreciate that not every family is in a position to go out and just buy a wheelchair

like we did. 

​

Taking Time off work when your child becomes poorly can put a huge financial strain on families at an already difficult time, both Evie's Stepdad and I are both self-employed so we recognise only to well how expensive staying with your child whilst in hospital can be.

 

This is why our charity is so important and why we feel it honours Evie's memory perfectly.

 

 

​

​

​​​​