Teens raise hundreds for friend who lost use of legs
CShe’s my best friend and I just wanted to help her be able to come home. I know she’s so sick of being in hospital. Phoebe Cunningham
LASSMATES have worked together to raise hundreds of pounds for their friend after she suddenly lost the use of her legs and has had to spend months in hospital.
Phoebe Cunningham was with best friend Ava Kennedy at St Thomas More RC High School in North Shields last November when she suddenly suffered a “burning pain”.
That pain turned out to be the beginning of a sudden and shocking paralysis, and Ava – who is just 13 – is now not able to lose her legs.
She was diagnosed with what is called an “arteriovenous malformation” that had led to a haemorrhage and damage to her spinal cord.
Friends Phoebe and Emily King have since led a fundraising effort for their “inspirational” friend, looking to help Ava’s family raise the £25,000 they will need to alter their North Shields home so they can bring their daughter home from hospital permanently.
Phoebe said: “She’s my best friend and I just wanted to help her be able to come home. I know she’s so sick of being in hospital.
“Me and my friend we had a stall in the Royal Quays selling cakes and raffle tickets.”
Phoebe’s mum Rachel said that she had been inspired by the bond the girls had shown, and said the teenagers had sprung into action over Christmas when they discovered more about the adaptations and support Ava’s home will need. She said she was incredibly proud of the teenagers.
Rachel said: “They were straight onto the group chat to work out how to raise money to help Ava.
“They worked hard and were really dedicated to what they were going to do.”
The girls visited Ava in the Royal Victoria Infirmary this week – where Ava’s mum Rebecca says rehabilitation is going “amazingly” – and were able to present a cheque for £720 to her. This meant that overall, the fundraiser for the family has now passed £20,000.
Ava’s aunt Laura Bonello started the crowdfunding page in December.
She wrote: “As you can imagine, we as a family are devastated. Ava herself has tried to remain positive, but that is becoming more difficult now she is facing what she feared most.
“We do not want this to limit her or stop her achieving whatever she wants to, but to do that we need to get her home and back to some sort of normality.”