Fundraiser pays tribute to brother by supporting The Christie

The Christie Charity is inviting fundraisers to lace up their running shoes and join them for the Tatton Park Run series, which take place on the second weekend of every month until December 2024.

This 5k and 10k race around the beautiful Tatton Park in Cheshire is the perfect opportunity to go for a chip-timed personal best.

One of The Christie Charity’s fundraisers, 31-year-old Leonie Kerr from Barnton, Northwich has a deeply personal reason for supporting the Charity. Leonie lost her brother, Adam, to Hodgkin’s lymphoma in 2016 when he was just 24 years old, having been diagnosed the previous year.

Leonie also has a twin brother Dan:

“Although me and my twin brother were younger than Adam, he always needed his little brother and sister. He was the softest most kind-hearted person I’ve ever met, although he would never leave a gap in a conversation, he could - to put it politely - talk the back end of a donkey but it’s one of the things I loved about him.”

Adam was treated at The Christie for 18 months, following his diagnosis and Leonie remembers the incredible care he received.

She says:

"The Christie hospital was unbelievable with him. They kept him laughing and smiling even on days when he didn’t feel like smiling. We even arranged his wedding at The Christie because he was too unwell to go to his actual venue. I will forever be grateful to The Christie hospital and the staff who gave my brother the best care every day until the day he fell asleep forever."

Leonie will be taking part in the Tatton 10k this on Saturday 27 July 2024 in memory of Adam. Her participation and fundraising efforts will help The Christie to continue to provide world-class care and support to those in need, as it did with her brother.

The Tatton Run’s routes wind through the park’s picturesque grounds and are fully timed, with all participants receiving medals, free official race photos, and post-race goodies.

Abbie Wick, mass participation events co-ordinator at The Christie Charity, said:

"Leonie's dedication to running in memory of her brother, Adam, is truly inspiring. Our runners' efforts make a significant contribution to our mission of supporting cancer patients and their families."

For more information and to sign up, please visit: 

Run Tatton Series 

...or contact: 

The Christie Charity.

Donate to Leonie’s fundraising page here: 

https://www.justgiving.com/page/leonie-kerr-1713859320849

To support the work of The Christie Charity, please go to: 

Donate today (christie.nhs.uk) 

...or ring: 

0161 446 3988.

The Christie charity supports the work of The Christie NHS Foundation Trust providing enhanced services over and above what the NHS funds. This includes money for care and treatment, research, education, and extra patient services. Gifts from the public make a huge difference to the care and treatment that The Christie is able to provide to patients and their families.

About The Christie Charity:

The Christie Charity fundraises for vital new projects such as a new cancer centre in Macclesfield which opened in 2021 and a new world-class transformational research facility which opened in 2023.

Find out more at: 

www.christies.org/the-christie-charity/why-we-need-your-help/what-we-are-fundraising-for

It has over 50,000 supporters who helped raise £23m last year. 82p in every pound raised goes directly to the patients, ensuring the money donated is spent where patients need it most.

Supporters can find out how to donate at: 

www.christies.org/the-christie-charity/donate

About The Christie NHS Foundation Trust:

The Christie is a specialist cancer centre in Manchester and has more than 120 years of expertise in cancer care, research and education. It is one of Europe’s leading cancer centres, treating over 60,000 patients a year.

It is the largest provider of radiotherapy in the NHS (including high energy proton beam therapy and MR guided radiotherapy); it is home to the largest chemotherapy unit in the UK; and is a specialist surgical centre concentrating on rare cancers and complex procedures.

The Christie is one of Europe's largest experimental cancer medicine centres and an international leader in research and development with around 650 clinical studies ongoing at any one time.

Pictured - Leonie Kerr