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2005 October 28 - Family raises mountainous ?4,000 for children's charity close to its heart

A mother from Newry, her family and friends have raised a mountainous £4,000 for the children's charity that means so much to them.

Colette Babe, from Belleeks, climbed Mount Errigal, the highest peak in the Derryveagh Mountains, this summer for the Children’s Liver Disease Foundation, the only charity dedicated to fighting liver disease in children and young people.

The Foundation is of vital importance to Colette and her family because her youngest daughter Katherine was diagnosed last year with a rare liver disease called biliary atresia. 

Colette, who is a nurse at the Royal Victoria Hospital in Belfast, explains: “Katherine was born on 22 January 2004 and although she was slightly jaundiced at birth, this went away and she was fine. But after just a few weeks I felt something was wrong as she became slightly jaundiced again and had very pale stools. Tests revealed that she had biliary atresia, which means that the bile ducts from the liver become blocked, potentially leading to irreversible liver damage. My husband and I were devastated."

Soon after diagnosis, Katherine had surgery to allow the liver to function normally, and was in hospital for eight weeks. Colette is now determined to raise awareness of childhood liver disease and the valuable work carried out by the Children's Liver Disease Foundation to fund leading edge research projects and support families affected.

Catherine Arkley, chief executive of the Foundation, said: “We are indebted to people like Colette and her family, who give so freely of their time and energy to raise money for CLDF. At least two children a day are diagnosed with a liver disease - that’s higher than the incidence of childhood leukaemia - and there is so much we still don't know about the causes of these diseases, many of which are life threatening. That's why raising funds for more research is vital."

Colette concluded: "I'd like to thank all my colleagues at the Royal Victoria, friends and family who participated in the walk and everyone who sponsored us so generously. It was a great day out with a wonderful end result."

For further information on the Children’s Liver Disease Foundation, please call 0121 212 3839 or visit www.childliverdisease.org.

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Further information from Jill Priest on 01886 822077

Note to editors:

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. Founded in 1980, it provides professional, emotional support to families affected and is the only organisation of its kind in the UK.

Issued on behalf of Children's Liver Disease Foundation by Professional Communications.