Mixed emotions for Charlie, 13, on charity ride (From Ledbury Reporter)
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Mixed emotions for Charlie, 13, on charity ride
1:00pm Friday 11th January 2013 in News
THANK YOU FOR YOUR HARD WORK: Charlie Wood with baby brother Archie, Dr Shambhu Shah, consultant paediatrician and Carol Lamplutt, ward manager at Hereford Special Care Baby Unit.
BROMESBERROW Heath schoolboy Charlie Wood, aged 13, is coming to terms with the death of his grandmother after he cycled coast to coast to raise funds for Cancer Research UK and the Hereford Special Care Baby Unit.
But his proud grandmother, Jenny Wood, lived long enough to see the teenager successfully complete the 150 mile challenge in four days and raise £2,450 for two good causes that are very dear to his heart.
And a big cheque was handed over recently by Charlie to his two chosen charities.
The cycle ride was the schoolboy’s response to a very challenging year for his family, in which his baby brother almost died and his grandmother started treatment for ovarian cancer.
When he heard about her illness, Charlie decided to do all he could to help find a cure, and he began training for the coast to coast, a challenge he successfully completed in July, with many generous donations flooding in.
But shortly afterwards, Charlie heard his grandmother’s cancer had spread to her liver, and she died on October 19, aged 65. His mother, Sarah Wood, said: “Charlie was obviously devastated to begin with, but we had to explain to him that there was no treatment that could have helped; however, that is a hard enough thing to accept, even when you are an adult.”
Mrs Wood herself has found some comfort in the knowledge Archie, Charlie’s baby brother, was born and survived lifethreatening complications, including kidney failure, before his grandmother died.
But Mrs Wood added: “It is hard to believe she won’t see Archie grow up.”
Jenny Wood was also aware that Charlie had raised more than £2,000, shortly before she passed away, and this made her immensely proud.
Donations at her funeral added another £1,400 to the fund-raising total, bringing it to £3,850.
Charlie, a Year 8 student of Newent Community School, went to Hereford County Hospital to hand over the big cheque for his two chosen charities, on a day that was also a check up with Dr Shambhu Shah, for little brother Archie, who is doing well.
