The Willow Foundation - From Med to Sled

The Willow Foundation, founded by Arsenal goalkeeper, TV presenter and all-round good egg Bob Wilson and his wife Megs, is a national charity that provides special days for seriously ill 16 - 40 year olds.

I can't imagine how it must feel to discover that you, or one of your loved ones, might not have much time left on this earth, how every moment must take on an unbearable extra significance. I do know how it feels to wish you'd had one special moment, one window of time when life could have been savoured together, a mental and emotional snapshot of sunshine, free of the shadow of illness. I have also seen what a difference this opportunity can make in the lives of the sick and, when the worst happens, in the grieving process of those left behind. For many people though, it must seem an impossible dream - financially, logistically out of reach, in the midst of the grinding minutiae of day to day existence.

That's where Bob and Megs come in. The Willow Foundation, founded in memory of their daughter, Anna, who died aged 31, five years after her initial diagnosis, exists to provide precisely that opportunity - Special Days. Remarkable people, bringing remarkable relief to remarkable people.

Equally remarkable is the fundraising adventure being undertaken by Suzanne Meiklejohn. Currently resident in sunny Majorca, on 29th January, 2010, Suzanne will be going 'from Med to Sled', joining a week long arctic expedition 300 miles north of the Arctic Circle. Her goal is to raise £10,000 for the Willow Foundation. If Suzanne's fundraising acumen matches her sheer courage in taking this expedition on, I suspect she'll raise much, much more than that.

So, visit Suzanne's website and have a look. You can donate online, you can follow her blog (also to be found further down this page in my 'recommended blog section') and you can spread the word. If you can only do one of these things, that's fine.

Just make sure you do. :)