Community Update September
Tesco Charity of the Year 2009
Thanks to the Muscular Dystrophy Campaign, Patrick Kelly can be just as independent as his brother Thomas
When twins Patrick and Thomas Kelly were born in January 2005, life seemed complete for parents Helen and Paul from Manchester. 'But by the time the twins were nearly five months old Patrick was showing signs of floppiness in his limbs,' says Helen. 'Then at six months his weight plummeted.'
At 11 months Patrick was diagnosed as having spinal muscular atrophy, a severe condition which causes damage to the nerves at the base of the spinal chord. This results in the wasting away of muscles and will prevent Patrick from ever being able to walk. 'We were devastated,' says Helen. 'It was a very difficult time, but once we knew what was wrong, we could try to help Patrick.'
How you can get involved
During Muscle Week (21-26 September) the Muscular Dystrophy Campaign, Tesco Charity of the Year for 2009, hopes to recruit volunteers to collect donations in Tesco stores. Through its 'Giving children equipment to be independent' campaign, it aims to raise £3 million to fund equipment for children in local communities across the UK. To volunteer or make a donation visit www.muscular-dystrophy.org/tesco.
Seeing his brother move about was distressing for Patrick. 'He understood exactly what was going on and was frustrated that he wasn't able to copy his brother. He needed to be more independent,' recalls Helen.
Freedom to move
At the age of two, Patrick received a powered wheelchair from the Muscular Dystrophy Campaign.
'Now Patrick's four he goes to nursery and can play with his friends like his brother does,' says Helen. 'Our local health authority couldn't provide wheelchairs for very young children and without the help of the Muscular Dystrophy Campaign, he wouldn't be independent.'
Cupwinners
Three cheers for the Stokesley U13 boys' team from Middlesbrough, the Manchester City U14 girls' team, and the Manchester United U16 girls' team – they were all winners of the fourth annual Tesco Cup which took place at the Reebok Stadium in May this year.
More than 3,700 teams entered the 2008/09 Tesco Cup competitions, which aim to encourage more young people to start playing grassroots football.
For more information on the competition, visit www.tesco.com/football.
Be AllergyWise
Managing Severely Allergic Pupils in School
The Tesco Charitable Trust has given a grant to support the AllergyWise training programme, run by The Anaphylaxis Campaign. The course is designed to equip school nurses with the knowledge, skills and resources to carry out high-quality training in managing severe allergy and anaphylaxis at School.
Consistently gaining top marks in evaluation, the course provides knowledge of avoiding allergens, recognising symptoms, managing the situation if a pupil has a reaction and using an adrenaline injector.
The Anaphylaxis Campaign provides information and support relating to foods and other triggers www.anaphylaxis.org.uk. Become a member and receive all the latest food alerts – soon available by SMS.
For more information on funding through the Tesco Charity Trust go to www.tescoplc.com/tescocharitytrust
Race for Life sponsorship
Congratulations to all those women who took part in Cancer Research UK's Race for Life 2009. The money raised makes a big difference, so please remember to pay in your sponsorship money either online at www.raceforlife.org (simply click on the 'pay in your sponsorship' link), over the phone by calling 0871 641 2282, or send your cheque, payable to Cancer Research UK, with your sponsorship form, to: Race for Life, Cancer Research UK, PO Box 442, Northampton NN3 6UU.