Sibling superstars: How two brothers remembered their grandma through fundraising

We’re always inspired when families get involved in raising money for Nottingham hospitals. Two young brothers, seven-year-old Harry 7 and three-year-old Rory decided they wanted to take on a special challenge in memory of their grandma, Julie, who was looked after by the team on the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) before she sadly passed away. Their mum Bethany explains why they took on the challenge.

“Julie was on holiday in Nottingham when she suddenly became very poorly from a spontaneous bleed on her brain. Our entire family travelled from Cumbria and Merseyside every day for nearly a week to be with her in the ICU before she passed away. The dedication, care, respect and dignity that the staff showed Julie in her final days was outstanding and as a family, we will be forever grateful for all the support they gave us during this time.

“Harry and Rory never came to the ICU, but we wanted them to know how important it is to show our appreciation and gratitude for the people who looked after their Grandma Julie.

“Julie loved the Lake District and was so proud to live there and Harry and Rory both knew this was a special place for their Grandma, especially Loughrigg Tarn where Julie would swim in the water with her friends, so we wanted to incorporate this into their fundraising challenge.

“Harry, Rory and Julie’s closest family and friends all came together in the Lake District to take on a walking route which was set to go around Loughrigg Fell, down to the edge of Grasmere Lake and finishing at Loughrigg Tarn. The original challenge was going to be 5km but ended up just being 7km.

“It was a lovely day with lots of smiles and sunshine. We also found a way to incorporate lots of green including balloons and ribbons as this was Julie’s favourite colour. When they completed the walk, both boys enjoyed a swim in the same Tarn that their grandma loved.

“The whole family are incredibly proud of the boys! They led the way for most of the walk and were so excited to see the finish line. They definitely earned their medal and picnic. They truly inspire us every day with their bravery and resilience as we try to navigate this difficult time as a family. We know that Julie would be so proud of them too, she would have the biggest smile on her face to know how well they both did and would have loved that they visited her favourite place and swam in the Tarn just like she loved to do.

“Julie’s love of adventures, sense of fun, joyous laughter and love of life will live on in all of us forever. Words cannot describe how much we miss her but will continue to make her proud by fundraising for the ICU. Julie loved being a Grandma and we will always keep her memory alive in Harry and Rory forever.”

A huge thank you to Harry, Rory and all of Julie’s loved ones for making a difference to patients in a similar situation to them.

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