Newtownards girl’s amazing fundraiser after brain surgery
By Julie Waters
JUST two weeks after undergoing brain surgery, tenacious toddler Alex Chambers took her first steps on a charity walkathon that has raised an impressive £16,000.
Nothing can hold back this resilient youngster, as she completed a staggering 10.4 mile challenge when her original target was just five miles.
Taking her charity challenge in her stride, Alex and her band of supporters completed a total of 11 walks at a variety of locations including at the Belfast Mela, W5, Portaferry’s Exploris Aquarium and Bangor’s picturesque Walled Garden.
The determined Newtownards youngster went on to inspire Ulster rugby players during a visit to the Kingspan Stadium and she was given a hero’s welcome as she crossed her walking finish line at the popular Newtownards Saturday Market at Conway Square.
Her challenge is all the more remarkable as back on December 8 last year, her parents Nadine and Ryan were told their daughter had just 45 minutes to live after suffering a massive brain haemorrhage.
As Alex battled back from a medically induced coma and a three month hospital stay, her family were given unstinting support by the Royal Belfast Hospital for Sick Children’s charity, Helping Hands.
Alex and her family were keen to say thank you for the invaluable practical support they had received and her charity walking challenge had been due to begin at the start of August.
However, on the very day she had been due to start her challenge little Alex was undergoing brain surgery after she was diagnosed with a further aneurysm.
Two weeks later she was on the road.
“Alex’s first walk was on August 12, two weeks after her brain surgery,” said mum Nadine. “She was raring to go and she walked out of hospital on her walker after surgery. She is so determined.”
She was thrilled by the support her daughter received during her walks. “We started off with four people joining us on our first walk. By the time we finished at Newtownards Market there were 30 to 40 people,” said Nadine.
“Everybody brought their children as people wanted to be part of it and to meet Alex, she soaked every minute of it up. It was great for people to get to know Alex and see that she was raising money for the hospital. Other children also got to see Alex in her walker and it let them see that it is a very normal thing to have.”
Such was the generous public support for Alex’s effort that Nadine explained they had to keep raising their fundraising target.
“We started off at £2,000, then raised it to £4,000 and then £8,000 and now we have raised over £16,000. It has just been amazing, people have been so supportive and we are just so grateful to everyone who got involved.”
Nadine explained why it was so important to the family to support the work of the Helping Hand charity which is soon to be rebranded as Little Heroes.
“If we had not been able to have a shower or cooking facilities we would not have been able to stay with Alex during her three months in hospital. It is as simple as that,” said Nadine.
“No-one wants to leave their child in hospital and they supplied buddy beds, which is a chair that can be pulled out so you can sleep on it at night.”
Nadine continued: “You need to be the best you can when your child is ill. You need those basic things like sleep, food and being clean and they just made sure we were looked after.”
The local mum hopes their charity challenge will raise public awareness about the vital work that this charity provides to families during the most difficult of times.
“If everyone could know just how much they provide on a daily basis in addition to the NHS they would be shocked. It is a charity I don’t think many people have heard of and we are hoping to change that,” said Nadine.
“Currently parents of sick children are helping to raise money, they are the storytellers of how pivotal this charity is.”
To make a donation to Alex’s charity challenge visit her Just Give Page:
