He said: “Niamh couldn’t wait to get going as soon as we arrived. Mike Grisenthwaite is the founder and CEO of Cyclists Fighting Cancer, a charity dedicated to helping children and young people across the UK whose lives have been affected by cancer by providing specially adapted bikes and tricycles. Niamh hits the road on her first trike, bought with funds raised by the Marlow Red Kite Ride It helped her from a physical point of view.” “Now, suddenly she had some independence. It was so special to see our little child going up and down the road on her first bike”, said Helen. “We couldn’t believe it when we got the call. Niamh loved it and it suddenly became a gift of a new-found freedom. The gift was a specially adapted tricycle. Recovery sometimes has seemed painfully slow but one of the big steps Niamh took was when she was nine and received a gift from the charity Cyclists Fighting Cancer. She never asks why she doesn’t have any hair – in fact she wants to become a hairdresser! “added Helen. Niamh is now 13 and a happy and confident child, but due to the area of the tumour she still has coordination and balance problems and goes to a special needs school in nearby Beaconsfield. It was near Christmas and it was a very difficult time,” Helen added.īut it was to be the turning point in her recovery, a recovery that is ongoing as she continues to fight the effects of such a trauma at a young age. But on one of the visits to hospital Niamh contracted an infection which left her very poorly. The treatment had severely reduced her immune system so she had to be kept away from all possible infections. Four sessions of chemotherapy and 31 sessions of radiotherapy followed over a six month period, in order to stop the cancer spreading. She would have to learn critical life skills all over again. The surgery removed the initial tumour but Niamh had lost her speech and her ability to walk. Suddenly Niamh was taken straight to the John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford for surgery,” said Helen. “Initially it was mis-diagnosed and it wasn’t until she had a cat scan that the tumour was revealed. She just kept bumping into things,” added Dave. “We recognised that she had some problems with her balance. “it turned out that the tumour was the size of a golf ball.” “We knew that something wasn’t right beforehand,” said Helen. Their two children, Niamh and Liam, are school age, and their family is complete with two pet guinea pigs.īut 10 years ago, in August 2005, their world was turned upside down when three year-old Niamh Dunwoody was rushed to hospital having been diagnosed with a brain tumour. Dad Dave is an Automotive Warranty Specialist, Mum Helen works as a Play Leader at an infants school. On the face of it the Dunwoody family, from Iver Heath in Buckinghamshire, are an ordinary hard-working happy and close-knit family. One of the beneficiaries of the Marlow Red Kite Ride was Niamh Dunwoody, the family’s story is outlined below and is a great example of how CfC puts the money it raises to good use.
Riders on last year’s Marlow Red Kite Sportive. CfC was chosen because of its use of cycling to help children and young people living with cancer across the UK to regain their physical fitness, strength and confidence by giving them new bikes, adapted trikes, tandems, other equipment and support. Last year the Marlow Red Kite Ride raised £5000 for the charity.
This year’s nominated charity is Cyclists Fighting Cancer again. Organised by local cycle club the Marlow Riders, they have managed to create a successful event – it has sold out every year, which has prompted the organisers to raise the field to seven hundred – that also raises money for charity. The Marlow Red Kite Ride is a relative newcomer to the world of sportives, with four route options, all the usual route signage and well-stocked feed stations. The Marlow Red Kite Ride sportive is raising money for Cyclists Fighting Cancer.
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