Bramble unveils special lorries

Four-year-old cancer patient Bramble, from Brighton, has officially unveiled three extra special 40 foot Ford lorries at the company’s Dagenham estate which will be taking to the road carrying more than just their regular loads this summer.  The lorries will carry a special message, ‘help kids with cancer’, along with Bramble’s image and contact details for CLIC Sargent.

Ford has decorated the lorries to help raise awareness of the Charity, who support children and young people with cancer across the UK.  Ford European Transport Operations Manager, Frank Coyne, said: “Ford Transport Operations has a history of supporting the community.  Helping to promote charities like this one is something Transport Operations is fully committed to doing now and in the future.”

Bramble was born with a liver disease, Biliary Atresia, and was listed for a transplant in April 2004 at just six months old.  Due to the shortage of donors no livers were available for Bramble so Mum Frithe donated part of her liver, a large and risky operation.  They both recovered well and Bramble began to grow and thrive, and do all the things that little boys do.  Bramble had to take drugs to suppress his immune system to stop him from rejecting his liver and in October 2006 he developed Post Transplant Lymphoproliferative Disorder, cancer of the lymph nodes.  He was rushed to emergency surgery and doctors found several large tumours matted together in his intestine. 

He underwent five months of chemotherapy treatment at the end of 2006, and has now been in remission for nearly 15 months.  He has just been taken off all immune suppression as his liver function is stable but Bramble does face a lifetime of blood tests to make sure he is not rejecting his liver. 

The family were supported both in hospital and at home by specialist CLIC Sargent staff.  On the few days that Bramble was allowed to go home during his course of chemotherapy a CLIC Sargent Nurse was able to visit him and take blood which meant the family could enjoy some precious time away from hospital.  CLIC Sargent Social Workers also helped to support the family whilst Bramble was in hospital. 

Frithe, Bramble’s Mum, says that the Charity’s social workers and nurses were an invaluable resource, and they continue to offer support to the family.  “We are very grateful to them, amongst others,” she says. 

“We’d like to thank Ford for giving us this unique opportunity to raise awareness of childhood cancer, and how CLIC Sargent is there to help support families,” says Querida Williams, Head of Corporate Fundraising for the Charity.  “A big thank you also goes out to Bramble, and his family, for helping us bring home to people what having cancer as a child is really like.

“The lorries are undeniably eye-catching and you can’t fail to notice Bramble’s image, our website address and helpline number.  I’m sure they’ll cause a stir as they travel around the country!” she added.

ENDS

For any media enquiries please contact Ruth Bowen in the CLIC Sargent media team on: 0117 314 8617 or email: ruth.bowen@clicsargent.org.uk.