STRIDING OUT FOR STEPHANIE
Family and friends walk 58 miles in memory of ‘footy mad’ fan
FAMILY and friends of a cystic fibrosis sufferer who died 10 years ago have walked 58 miles to raise funds for charity.
Stephanie Sutton, of Milehouse, was diagnosed with the condition when she was nine weeks old and had to undergo physiotherapy on a daily basis to help both her mobility and breathing.
She suffered from arthralgia, which meant she sometimes struggled to walk and needed a wheelchair. But in 2011 she completed the Potters ‘Arf dressed as the Tin Man from the Wizard of Oz to raise money for Breath Of Life, a charity which helps people with lung problems.
She died in April 2014, aged 24. This weekend, to mark 10 years since her passing, her family and friends walked 58 miles from Old Trafford, Manchester, to the bet365 Stadium to raise awareness and funds for the Cystic Fibrosis Trust.
Brother Nathan Sutton, aged 35, said: “It is 10 years since her death. We set off from Old Trafford on Friday morning and walked 18 miles to Marple, near Stockport. On Saturday, we walked from Marple to Congleton, which was 24 miles. And then we walked from Congleton to the bet365 Stadium.
“My sister supported both teams.
Fifteen of us, made up of her family and friends, have done the walk to raise money for the Cystic Fibrosis Trust. We have raised about £6,000.
“We are going to do something every five years. We will look to do a different challenge each time. We are a close family. Stephanie would have been proud of us. It is about keeping her spirit and memory alive.”
Liesa Brownless, aged 53, of Essex, took part in the walk in tribute to her niece. She said: “I travelled up with my family to do the walk.
“It is wonderful walking along the canal. We have all got blisters. The people are just so wonderful. The people on the oatcake barge just gave me £20 at Westport Lake. You can’t fault the generosity of the Potteries people. They are beautiful. It is so important we keep raising awareness and money for the Cystic Fibrosis Trust.”
Stephanie’s mum Nicole Sutton, aged 56, added: “Stephanie did really well. We are doing it in her memory and for all the people with cystic fibrosis now, who are fighting their battle. People do not realise it is one in 20 people who carry the gene. It is in everybody’s family and people do not realise it.
“Stephanie supported both Manchester United and Stoke City. She was footy mad.”