Zipline challenge thanks from Elsie

AT the end of April last year Elsie Blakeman from Dryslwyn in the Towy Valley, Carmarthenshire, was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma.

A year later to the day on April 30 she will be traversing at speeds of 45 miles an hour at Zip World Tower in the Cynon Valley – all in aid of the children’s hospital that made her better.

Elsie, 12, was taken to the Noah’s Ark Children’s Hospital for Wales in Cardiff shortly after her diagnosis last year and within days had embarked on a four-month course of chemotherapy treatment.

Thankfully by September she was given the all clear and returned to the children’s hospital a few weeks ago to ring the end of treatment bell.

However, the last year has been a real rollercoaster ride for the family who are only now coming to terms with what happened.

Mum, Elaine, said: “Elsie’s diagnosis came as a total shock to us and from the moment we were told everything felt like it was happening at a million miles a minute.

“The children’s hospital was amazing though and as a family we don’t have enough good words to say about the team there.”

The Dryslwyn community has also been a huge support to the family since Elsie’s diagnosis.

The Llanfynydd Young Farmers Association (YFC), of which Elsie and her two older brothers are members, raised £1,000 for the Noah’s Ark Charity by singing carols at Christmas.

With life slowly returning to normal after treatment, the family of five decided that they wanted to do something personally to say thank you to the hospital.

Elaine added: “It was incredibly tough to see Elsie going through treatment, but we also realise how lucky we are to be at this stage now. We wanted to do something to help so when we saw that the Noah’s Ark

Charity Zipline challenge takes place a year to the day since Elsie’s diagnosis, it felt like the perfect thing to do.”

To help children like Elsie, people are encouraged to join her on April 30 by signing up to the Noah’s Ark Zipline challenge. For more information, visit www.noahsarkcharity.org/ zipline

NOAH’S ARK CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL CHARITY Elsie ringing the bell with nurses signalling the end of her four-month course of chemotherapy treatment at the Noah’s Ark Children’s Hospital for Wales.

NOAH’S ARK CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL CHARITY Elsie Blakeman, from Dryslwyn in the Towy Valley, with the Llanfynydd YFC cheque for the Noah’s Ark Appeal.