When it comes to choosing a cause to support, there are many that do incredible work. But some stories hit a little closer to home, and this one is very personal to me.
Kirsty is a bright, creative, and determined 11-year-old girl from Kent who I’ve known since the day she was born. She’s also a close family friend. In late 2024, Kirsty began having problems with her eyesight. Then came memory lapses and fatigue. In November, her family received the devastating news, Kirsty had a brain tumour. She was one of around 400 children in the UK to receive that diagnosis last year.
Within weeks, she underwent a seven-hour operation at King’s College Hospital, followed by a gruelling course of chemotherapy, 70 weeks in total! She’s now midway through treatment, and I’m thrilled to say the chemo is working. She’s back at school, back to her beloved crafts, and more full of energy than ever.
But Kirsty isn’t stopping there.
True to her creative spirit, she decided to turn her journey into something powerful. She launched Crochet for Cancer, an inspiring campaign to raise money for other children with cancer through her favourite hobby. Her idea? To crochet 70 bunting triangles, one for every week of her chemotherapy, and raise awareness along the way.
Kirsty’s mission is simple: spread the word and raise BIG money. She’s already raised nearly £25,000 for Children with Cancer UK, and she’s not done yet. She’s been featured on TV, in newspapers and on the radio. And she’s even had Davina McCall round for tea and a natter about brain tumours. But what she needs now is support, from people like us. People who believe that even the smallest acts can add up to something incredible.
Kirsty’s new goal is to get her campaign poster displayed on 1,000 notice boards across the UK, in workplaces, GP surgeries, shops, schools, churches and more. It’s a simple way to help her spread the word and hit her next fundraising milestone.
You can help in two easy ways:
- Donate directly via Kirsty’s JustGiving page
- Download, print, and stick up a poster. Choose your format, A4 or A5, print it at home or at work, and display it somewhere public. Once your poster is up, there’s a quick form on her website to let Kirsty know where you’ve put it so she can add your contribution to her growing map of support. Download the poster on her website.
It’s a small action, but it means the world to Kirsty, her family, and the hundreds of children like her across the UK. And her dad reliably informs me that her phone pings every time someone donates or updates the website – prompting excitement and a big, beaming smile!
Thank you for reading, and for anything you’re able to do to support this incredible young person and her mission.