Brother raises £60k in memory of sister

A BRILLIANT brother has raised almost £60,000 to help research into a condition that tragically claimed the life of his sister.

Rob O‘Donnell has been on a one-man mission to support the Cystic Fibrosis Trust in honour of his sibling Tammy Harrison from Nuneaton, who sadly passed away after battling Cystic Fibrosis

Inspired by his sister’s bravery and keen to do something in her memory, he held his first fundraising event nine years ago and, after his third charity ball, his grand fund-raising total has topped the £58,000 mark.

It is a figure he could not have dreamed of when he first started out his charity mission following Tammy’s sad death from the incurable condition in 2013.

“I never thought for a minute I’d raise over £50,000 when I started fund-raising,” he said.

“I started off jumping out of a plane, then completing the national 3 peaks in just over 23 hours and now I’ve organised 3 local charity balls, all dedicated to my sister! As the saying goes “Cystic Fibrosis is a fight we must win”.”

Just over £11,500 was raised at the ‘Sunflower Ball’ , which was held at the Hinckley Island hotel on Saturday, March 3, and attracted 250 people.

They were treated to Wayne Truman as Captain Jack, compere James Hopkins, the Junction 21 big band and Ollie Hughes as Robbie Williams.

Mr O’Donnell said that the ball, named after the fact that sunflowers were his young sister’s favourite flowers, is his last event. Never say never, but I have no plans at the moment,” he added.