Why Run For Great Ormond Street Hospital?

Every day, 618 children and young people from across the UK arrive at Great Ormond Street Hospital (GOSH). Last year, that included four-year old Max. He was suffering from a rare and aggressive form of childhood cancer called malignant rhabdomyosarcoma.

Thankfully, Max has now received the all-clear. He is a bundle of energy and doesn’t let anything back! He has now started reception year at school with his friends, albeit a few months later than the rest of them.

Our Marketing Manager, Joanna Hanley, is enormously proud to help support Max in his efforts to give back to GOSH. Read on to find out what #SuperheroesForMax will be getting up to.

Team #SuperheroesForMax

Max mid-treatment, with his running buddies #SuperheroesForMax

Max lives in Silsoe, where (funnily enough) Silsoe Odours is based. He goes to school with Joanna’s son, Connor.

Max, Connor and their schoolmates Charlie and Scarlett-Rose, will don superhero costumes to run the Superhero Fun Run in Milton Keynes, on Monday 6th May. They also roped in their younger sisters, Mums and Dads.

Together, team #SuperheroesForMax will raise money to support the play workers at GOSH. During the course of Max’s treatment, the play workers were a lifeline for him and his family.

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Play Workers At GOSH

“Play workers are the unsung heroes of the oncology care team. They work long hours, which can be emotionally charged and challenging but always, always bring light and fun to the wards. They make every single child and parent feel like they are the only ones there and get to know us closely. It is no exaggeration to say that our wonderful play workers Jenny, Lauren and Alanna made our experience of childhood cancer a more positive one, sharing in the highs and lows. They help the whole family, not just the child going through gruelling treatment. Allowing us to get a cup of tea or a sandwich when only one of us was staying with Max and he couldn’t be left alone with infusions – it doesn’t sound like a lot but that breather was so necessary and impossible without support. Max ran with open arms to Jenny whenever she was around and looked for her as soon as he was on the ward. Unbelievably, he genuinely looked forward to going into GOSH or waking up on the ward day after day for his chemotherapy and other scans and tests because of the play workers. Jenny helped him through his treatment as much as we did as his parents; holding his hand, calming him down and talking through play therapy; providing a tablet to play on whilst he was being infused or having bloods taken. Making a scary process to a child less so. At the start of his treatment Max would scream hysterically and within a short time Jenny had transformed this.”
Kim, Max’s Mum

Good Luck Team!

Finally, we wish Joanna, Max and all the children and parents involved with #SuperheroesForMax the best of luck. They’re running for a truly fantastic cause. If you’d like to make a donation, anything you give will be a huge help and greatly appreciated. Good luck team!!