Isla’s stones reach Antarctica
THE WARM spirit of a brave young girl from Hinckley has reached the chilly climes of Antarctica as a viral online campaign spans the globe.
Researchers at the Australian Antarctic Division polished a piece of wood and painted it with a pair of penguins and a chick, placing it in the plains of snow at the South Pole, as part of the #islastones project.
The campaign to support 7-year-old Isla Tansey from Hinckley in her battle with a Stage 4 spinal tumour has reached all seven continents, with people around the world decorating stones and sending pictures of them to the #islastones Facebook page and using @islastones on Twitter.
Each of the arty stones is hidden in the open for others to find, including the hashtag #Islastones so the person who decorated it or the one who finds it can post a picture and message online for Isla to see.
Natalie Norman posted on the #islastones Facebook page from an email she had been sent by the polar explorers.
It said: “Due to environmental protections in Antarctica we could not paint a stone for Isla BUT expeditioner Mal got creative with an offcut of wood and station leader Esther took some photos.
“As we head towards Midwinter you can see the sun doesn’t get very high during the day.
“The team at Mawson research station all send their love and hope the photos bring a smile to Isla’s face.”
Pebbles with sketches of rainbows, ladybirds and unicorns have been placed and found in green spaces and other parts of Hinckley, as well as across the UK and as far afield as Mexico and Thailand.
Firefighters based at Hinckley station found a bright red pebble decorated with a flower during a risk inspection and Hinckley police painted a stone with a police hat design and 999 code.
Isla’s classmates at Hinckley Parks Primary School recently held a unicorn-themed Day of Colour in her honour, with the day’s events livestreamed to her home via Twitter.
After an operation in September that left her unable to feel her lower body, doctors found that Isla had a diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma, a tumour which normally develops in the brain.
The growth was still progressing and there are currently no other treatment options.
The #islastones Facebook page has more than 31,000 members and has regular updates about Isla’s condition and world maps showing where people across the world have found the stones.