#FundraisingFriday: Jonathon and Kenny’s Story
Jonathon’s granddaughter was born with a bilateral cleft lip and palate. He decided to take on a cycling challenge with his good friend Kenny to raise money for CLAPA.
Jonathon shares why fundraising for CLAPA means so much to him
“My good friend Kenny and I cycled 140 miles from Middlesbrough to Mablethorpe across two days during the Jubilee weekend to raise funds for CLAPA. We wanted to thank them for the special care they give. This charity is close to our hearts as at a 20-week scan, Jodie (my daughter) and Curtis’s baby, who was diagnosed with a bilateral cleft lip and palate.
Baby Ivy-Mae has since been born and has just undergone her lip repair at RVI Newcastle with Dr. Sainsbury, which is fantastic. We are so grateful; Sharon from the cleft team has also been an incredible support. Ivy-Mae is thriving – such a joyful little girl who makes Jodie and Curtis proud.
We decided we would like to help raise funds for CLAPA. They support many families, parents, young people, and adults with a network of trained volunteers. Kenny and I thought we ride bikes occasionally, so what better way to help?!
It was a tough challenge, but we made it; it would have been so much harder without Kenny riding alongside me to keep me going. We want to thank everyone who donated and helped and Floyd for being our marshal and keeping us safe. We raised a fantastic amount and still have a few donations to collect.
It was a tough challenge, but we made it; it would have been so much harder without Kenny riding alongside me to keep me going. We want to thank everyone who donated and helped and Floyd for being our marshal and keeping us safe. We raised a fantastic amount and still have a few donations to collect.
The CLAPA Community includes people born with a cleft and their families, as well as health professionals, researchers, and others dedicated to helping CLAPA take an active role in shaping the future of cleft care. Creating a better world for everyone in the UK affected by cleft.
CLAPA reach out to families from the moment of diagnosis, which is when we became aware of their fantastic work.
They help them through any difficulties before and after their child’s birth by providing a specialist feeding service, targeted information, trained volunteers providing one-to-one emotional support, and online events.
This first contact is the start of what they see as lifelong support for children born with a cleft and their families, from infancy through adulthood.
CLAPA works closely with the nine specialist cleft teams in the UK and generic health professionals and cleft researchers to ensure that people receive the best possible care.”
Thank you for supporting CLAPA!
Do Jonathon and Kenny inspire you? Get in touch with our fundraising team by emailing [email protected] to find out how you can make a difference.
