Our youngest child, Thalia, is 5 years old.
Like any other child, she brings us joy, worries, anxieties, happiness, and fills our lives with love and inspiration.
And like only 1 in 1000 children, Thalia has Down Syndrome ...
We announced Thalia's birth with the words: 'Thalia Skye was born on 17th February at 12.39am; we celebrate her arrival into our family and treasure her for who she is and who she will become'.
Those words remain as true today as they did then.
In the months following Thalia's birth, we met up with other families in similar circumstances for support and to share our experiences. In these relationships, the seeds for what was to become 'Sunshine & Smiles' were sown.
Amazingly, in a city the size of Leeds, there was no established support network, charity or service specifically for families with children who have Down Syndrome. But gradually, the efforts and commitment of a few parents grew a network of support, eventually becoming the small, vibrant, local charity that 'Sunshine & Smiles' is today. You can read more about the invaluable work we do through the link on this page.
In honour of Thalia, and all the other amazing children and families we have had the privilege to know, I hope my fundraising challenge will, in some small way, contribute to the work of Sunshine & Smiles.
Last Saturday (16th April 2016), I took part in a cycle event, called the 'Dirty Reiver 200'; a 200km ride around the gravel roads of Kielder Forest. It was, by some margin, the biggest physical challenge I have undertaken, but I managed to complete it in 10 hours 45 minutes.
Being poorly organised, I didn't get around to linking this event to any fundraising aims until now. If you feel like giving for this worthy cause, then please feel free to do so ... but please don't feel obliged.
Thankyou!
