When businessman Peter Done was visiting the Royal Manchester Children's Hospital this summer he met a young patient. Ava Le Blanc captured his heart.
Peter, founder and Chief Executive of the Salford-based Peninsula Group, said: “I was blown away when I met Ava in the summer; she is the spitting image of my granddaughter Ava, same age, same personality. The only difference is she has spent 8 years in and out of the hospital. I decided then and there that we would raise another million pounds, and we’re looking to do it in record time.
Ava is now eleven and her condition is stable. "She has regular follow ups, and scans and is living with the side effects of the radiotherapy. But she never complains and goes with the flow of hospital visits, and takes it in her stride. Wen Ava was she was first diagnosed with a brain tumour she told her mum she felt dizzy, like the room was spinning. Over the next few days Ava became sick, lost her sense of balance and started holding her head tilted to one side.
The first £2m was specifically for the RMCH Charity’s iMRI Appeal. the next £1m Peninsula Group want to raise will be for general funds for the hospital. This means it has the potential to touch the lives of all the 280,000-plus children that visit the hospital each and every year, regardless of where in the hospital they’re treated.
“Hitting the £2 million target was such a fantastic achievement and I’m so proud of each and every Peninsula Group staff member who helped us reach our goal and is here today to celebrate with us. But now we want to get started on that next £1 million and take our total to £3million. This will be a great way to kick off 2023."