We are thrilled to introduce you to our first member of Team Friends of PICU in the Virgin Money London Marathon in October 2021…. Lucy! We are absolutely delighted to have Lucy taking part to raise awareness of, and fundraise for, Friends of PICU. Here Lucy shares her incredible story and why she applied for one of our charity places:
“Hi, my name is Lucy! On April 2nd 2019, I was 15 years old and had a Whipples procedure in Southampton Hospital. This is my story….
In January 2019 I was admitted to Poole Hospital with appendicitis. In my pre-op scans they found a mass on my pancreas so after my appendectomy I was referred to a specialist in Southampton Hospital. They explained the lump was a SPEN (a type of tumour) the size of a large grapefruit. Major surgery was required to remove it as if it had continued to grow, it would have stopped my blood supply. The surgery I had was called a Whipples procedure and involved removing the tumour, the head of my pancreas, gallbladder, duodenum and part of my stomach. Following 10 hours in theatre, I was admitted into PICU (Paediatric Intensive Care Unit). The medical “stuff” that goes on in there is incredible, yet all the staff are calm, friendly and comforting to both patients and families in supporting them through incredibly tough times, it’s not an easy experience for any parent to go through.
I am running the 2021 Virgin Money London Marathon the day after my 18th birthday and exactly 2 ½ years after my operation to show that anything is possible when you put your mind to it! I may not set a record time however, by completing this it will be my way of thanking Southampton Hospital and PICU for saving my life. I would really appreciate it if you could donate to this wonderful charity and support PICU so they can continue saving lives around the clock. Thank you! “
Please join us in congratulating Lucy! We wish her the best of luck with her training and fundraising for the Virgin Money London Marathon! If you would like to support Lucy in achieving her fundraising target of £1,500 for Friends of PICU, please click on the link below.
https://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/LucyHarvey13
Welcome to our Team Lucy!
