Family and friends of three boys who were "taken far too soon" are taking on a gruelling Hadrian's Wall challenge walking 90 miles in just five days in their memory.
The group begins their walk along the route of Hadrian's Wall on Wednesday (June 29) and will finish up on Sunday (July 3) camping along the way. They hope to raise vital funds and much-needed awareness for two charities; Ethan's Arc and The Charlie and Carter Foundation.
Ethan Adams from South Shields was diagnosed with rhabdomyosarcoma - a rare type of cancer that forms in soft tissue but despite going through chemotherapy and radiation there were no further treatment options available. Tragically Ethan lost his life in August 2021, just a week after his 9th birthday with his parents setting up Ethan's Arc in his memory.
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Chris and Sarah Cookson, also from South Shields, set up The Charlie and Carter Foundation after their eldest son Charlie was born with an undiagnosed condition and a number of serious illnesses. Sadly at only two-and-a-half years old, the youngster tragically lost his fight.
Their second child Carter suffered three cardiac arrests within hours of being born and needed a heart transplant. They campaigned publicly through social media, the press, and TV, for organ donation awareness but devastatingly, Carter died before a heart could be found - at just 25 days old.
Joanne Nicholson, charity manager of The Charlie and Carter Foundation and close friend to Chris and Sarah, is just one of those taking on the mammoth challenge to help raise money and awareness. She said the charity is "vital" for parents like Chris and Sarah who need support while their child is seriously ill.
She said: "The charity is vital for families of seriously ill children who need financial support. For Sarah and Chris, when Charlie was in hospital Chris had to leave work as Charlie needed 24/7 care.
"They still had the mortgage to pay and bills to pay but they didn't have Chris' full-time income anymore. These finances don't go away even if your child is seriously unwell so it was very difficult for them.
"The last thing you want to do is leave your child to go to work when they're seriously ill. Every day we are getting referrals from hospitals or social workers because this is a huge worry for families."
Joanne said the charity gives Sarah and Chris a "purpose" after such devastating losses. She said: "Losing one child is horrific but losing a second is just devastating. They are 100 percent devoted to the charity. It gives them both a purpose and they get to see their boy's faces and names out there making such a difference. It helps them know that they're helping others."
Ethan's dad Mark is also taking part in the challenge in memory of his "really funny" little lad. Mark said: "Ethan lost his fight in August last year and he was a right little character. He was really funny, he was all about his family and friends. We want to keep Ethan's name alive, it's not just about raising money, we want to raise awareness and fight for future treatment that is more targeted and less harsh.
"Ethan was receiving treatment from the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s. The RVI and the Freeman are absolutely fantastic, I really can't fault them but you could see the impact the treatment was having on Ethan so there needs to be better treatments.
"I wanted to do something to help raise awareness and really push myself. I was thinking about doing the Hadrians Wall walk by myself but then more and more people started getting involved and we teamed up with The Charlie and Carter Foundation and now it's become quite big!"
Joanne added: "This is going to be one of the most challenging things I'm ever going to do but I'm doing it with a great group who are all doing it for the right reasons. Ethan, Charlie, and Carter were three gorgeous boys taken far too soon. We just want to make a difference in their names."
The group will start their challenge on June 29 with all funds split between both charities The Charlie and Carter Foundation and Ethan's Arc. If you would like to donate to their Just Giving page, you can do so here.
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