9:10am Saturday 20th March 2010
By Liza-Jane Gillespie
A YOUNG Brownie from Alveston, who is in remission from leukaemia, is hoping her friends from the village will get behind her as she attempts to raise money for vital research into the illness.
Lauren Manning, eight, who is a member of the Alveston Brownie Pack, will be joining Sir Ian Botham in a sponsored walk next month to raise money for Leukaemia & Lymphoma Research.
The cricketing legend has been organising the Great Forget Me Not Walks since 1985.
This year’s walk, from Manchester to London, will take 10 days and will take Sir Ian through 10 towns including Bristol.
For the South West leg of the walk, which is five miles, Sir Ian will be joined by Lauren and her family, who live in Bradley Stoke.
Lauren was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukaemia in October 2006, when she was aged four.
Mum Nicki said: "When Lauren was initially diagnosed, my husband and I knew she was ill but never did we imagine it was with something this serious as she wasn't displaying any of the normal symptoms.
"We will never forget being urgently transferred to the Oncology Ward at Bristol Children's Hospital and the overwhelming feeling that the bottom had fallen out of our world."
Just over three years later and Lauren is now in remission and is able to enjoy all the usual childhood pastimes such as Brownies, swimming and going to discos.
Nicki said: "Throughout her treatment Lauren has never ceased to amaze us by her sheer determination to succeed at everything she did and still does.
"The chemotherapy meant that she lost her hair twice over the course of her treatment and has left her with muscle damage in her legs, which has improved over the past six months with physiotherapy, but this walk, with Sir Ian Botham, will be challenging for her."
To support Lauren visit http://original.justgiving.com/laurenmanning1
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