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*Welcome to the CLDF Media Room* | Press Releases | Archived Press Releases | 2005 October 6 - Local school organises cross country run for children with liver disease
2005 October 6 - Local school organises cross country run for children with liver disease
A local school is holding a sponsored cross country run to raise funds for the charity which offered support to a teacher’s son when he underwent a life saving liver transplant.
Staff and pupils of York House at Bedgebury School for girls in Goudhurst, are raising funds for Children’s Liver Disease Foundation (CLDF), the only organisation in the UK fighting to stamp out childhood liver disease.
Each term staff and pupils at the four school houses choose a charity to offer fundraising support to. Corinne Inglis, Head of Learning Support and a member of York house, suggested CLDF which offered support to her family when her son, Sam, was diagnosed with a liver disease as an infant.
Sam suffered from biliary atresia, a disease in which the bile ducts become progressively blocked, leading to irreversible liver damage. Sadly, a corrective operation was unsuccessful and Sam underwent a liver transplant in 1992 at the age of ten. The first transplant was unsuccessful and Sam underwent a second transplant later that year. Now 24, he is now doing well and Corinne was keen to ‘give something back’ to the charity. Corinne said, “I know first hand of the exceptional support that CLDF offers to families of children with liver disease. I wanted to help ensure that families continue to be offered this vital support in the future. When staff and pupils of York house learnt of CLDF’s vital work, they had no hesitation in choosing the charity”. The sponsored run takes place on Tuesday 11th October in the school grounds. Joining the 150 girls running the 2 ¼ mile course will be Head of York house, Mrs Sofi Griffith (Spanish teacher), Mrs Tina Budd (Head of Key Stage 3), Mrs Claudette Whitton (Head of Home Ecomonics) and Mrs Liz Hutchins (Physics teacher) who have all been training for a number of weeks to ensure they keep up with pupils during the run. In addition to the cross country run, a range of other fundraising activities will take place over the coming weeks to raise funds for CLDF, including cake sales and selling CLDF merchandise. Catherine Arkley, Chief Executive of the Children’s Liver Disease Foundation says, "Most people don't realise that two children a day are diagnosed with a liver disease in this country - that's greater than the incidence of childhood leukaemia. Many of these diseases are life threatening, but all mean a lifetime of care. Each year we need to raise more money to fund new research projects, educate more healthcare professionals and support more families and we are extremely grateful to Corinne and staff and pupils of Bedgebury School for their support." For further information about Children’s Liver Disease Foundation, visit www.childliverdiease.org
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Notes to editors:
For further information on this story please contact Rachel Markham, Children’s Liver Disease Foundation on 0121 212 6012, e-mail: communications@childliverdisease.org
The Children’s Liver Disease Foundation is a unique national charity that fights childhood liver diseases through funding pioneering research and educating healthcare professionals and the general public. Formed in 1980, it provides professional, emotional support to families affected and is the only organisation of its kind in the UK.
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