View Full Version : The Vanessa Riddle Appeal (RAF and REME Family Connections)
DX Wombat
14th Jan 2012, 11:08
Ladies and Gentlemen please look at this thread (http://www.pprune.org/atc-issues/474201-special-appeal-richard-taff-hale.html) and if you can possibly help please do.
Go for it chaps! Show the ATC they are really loved - even if we won't tell them to their faces!!!
DX Wombat
14th Jan 2012, 20:10
Ups-a-daisy.
A2QFI
15th Jan 2012, 06:35
Indeed! Seriously,where would we be without them?
Whilst not aircrew, Vanessa's father is a WO2 in the TA branch of REME, so he is part of your extended military family. Thanks to everyone for the magnificent effort so far. The family can't thank you enough.
tezzer
15th Jan 2012, 12:16
Done, in a small way, only a SLF civvy, but a father of 2, and I thank God that I have 2 healthy kids, couldn't imagine the pain this causes to parents and grand parents.
Overall, the total raised so far is almost £80k. Bravo Zulu everyone !!
:ok: Excellent - long may it continue :)
Jerry Can
15th Jan 2012, 17:34
Done.:) Life is so unfair sometimes.
Fox Four
15th Jan 2012, 17:40
All sorted, the very best of luck.
FF
Always a Sapper
15th Jan 2012, 22:24
Done.
10W and DX Wombat, it may be an idea to post the link over on ARRSE in the TA & REME forums.... oh and the charity forum as well, if it hasnt already been done of course.
Thanks Sapper,
It's in the REME part of the site but not the other parts you mention.
I'll see if I can find a friendly person to spread the word.
Cheers
10W
£80K reached ... and some more coverage in the Scottish press.
Family Overwhelmed By Support (http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/scottish-news/2012/01/16/family-of-cancer-girl-vanessa-riddle-overwhelmed-as-fund-raises-80k-in-five-days-86908-23701345/)
A big thank you to everyone so far.
PS Just a minor point, but I have written to the Daily Record editor pointing out that the £80K has not only been raised by Scots people, as written in the article. We have donations and offers of help from across the globe and this should be acknowledged too. We are all in this together.
Thanks to everyone's generosity, we have now cracked over £100K in donations, with plenty of events and fundraisers to come.
Vanessa is receiving 3 lots of Chemotherapy in the UK, prior to going to the USA, and this is expected to last until mid February. These sessions won't cure her, but should keep the cancer in its current state until she can be seen in Philadelphia. And they are being provided by the NHS, rather than having to be paid for in the USA. She remains positive and thanks everyone for all their great efforts.
For all the non Scots contributors, I got this back from a Daily Record editor today, regarding the fact that it is not only Scots who are raising money for the Appeal
Thank you for your email. You are absolutely correct people all round the globe have been digging deep for Vanessa - albeit that the majority of the money has come from Scotland.
I will mention this to the reporter tasked to the Vanessa story today so that the contribution of those in other countries get the recognition they deserve.
Vivienne Aitken
Assistant News Editor
https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash2/67595_1694747770398_1288922858_31830090_5519770_n.jpg
Vanessa's Grandad serving at RAF Prestwick as an ATC Assistant. he also served in RAF Germany at Clutch Radar, Dusseldorf.
http://www.justgiving.com/Utils/imaging.ashx?width=400&imageType=frpphoto&img=12012%2fccb57247-2c35-40fc-bc5c-0c48c9a60f52.jpg
Vanessa's Father, a WO2 in the REME section of the Ayrshire Yeomanry, Territorial Army.
Just a little update.
The family continue to be overwhelmed by the amount of support from everyone throughout the world. Donations continue to flood in. Events continue to be organised locally and further afield, with press coverage and high profile people continuing to promote the cause.
The fund now stands at £152,000.
We can add to that pending income from lots of upcoming events, raffles, and auctions. Local schools raised over £10,000 on Friday alone through various events held by the children, which is still to be added to the fund. Players and officials from Celtic and Rangers Football Clubs in Scotland have also collected a sizeable sum which has still to be added as well.
An ATC lady, who works with me, has volunteered to have her head shaved at an event in march and this will raise several thousands of ££££'s from her workmates.
The family thank each and everyone of you for the genuine support and kindness which they have experienced. They know there is a long way to go, but the fantastic response so far gives them a real hope and belief that the target will be achieved.
Thank you all :ok:
Hi folks,
Thanks to the tremendous generosity of PPRuNer's ... and many others ... the Appeal is now sitting at £310K plus. For a one month period of fund raising, that is fan-fecking-tastic. Thank you all !!
Other non monetary offers have also been been made and for these, the family are very grateful indeed, and may call on them in the future as things progress.
Local and international interest in this cause has been truly amazing. And everyone on here who has made a donation, spread the word, or offered to help, .... you are all heroes and heroines. 110% without any doubt.
Thanks from everyone who is involved in the fund raising and looking after Vanessa and her family. The target of £500K seems daunting, yet we are already almost 2/3rds of the way towards it !! And many of you have played a part in this.
:ok:
An update can be found on the link below.
Vanessa Riddle Appeal Update on PPRuNe Jet Blast (http://www.pprune.org/jet-blast/474202-appeal-3.html#post7045880)
The initial target of £500,000 was reached last night.
Well done everyone who contributed !! :ok:
althenick
29th Feb 2012, 16:28
The initial target of £500,000 was reached last night.
Well done everyone who contributed !!
10 Whisky - Good news, When does she get to go. I had a good night last Saturday a the Loans Community hall where you there?
:ok::ok::ok::ok::ok::ok::ok::ok::ok:
Shack37
1st Mar 2012, 14:18
Fantastic, best news of the week. Fingers crossed and best wishes for Vanessa.:):):)
althenick
I wasn't there, but was at an Appeal event at the Marr Rugby Club instead ;)
It is hoped that Vanessa will be ready to go in a few months time, once her UK treatment has finished. Tissue samples are being sent to the USA imminently so that the doctors there can get an idea of the best way to treat her, before she arrives.
Latest news which people might be interested in.
First of all, as you might expect, the fund raising activities have slowed down and money now trickles in slowly. However, that is not unexpected, and neither is it a bad thing, since the fund is sitting at almost £850,000. All of this has been raised by ordinary people such as those here on PPRuNe. That sum of money is immense in any ones terms and has far exceeded the expectations of the family and the friends involved in the organisation of the appeal.
A big THANK YOU to everyone who has donated or made an effort to assist.
That money is held by the charity and is solely used for medical expenses, as mentioned before. In the event that Vanessa does not require the full amount, anything extra is held in a ringfenced charity account for a time period, and after that is released either to the charity central funds or to another child's individual appeal. Not one penny is wasted or goes anywhere except towards medical expenses.
In terms of treatment, Vanessa attended hospital in London during most of May, receiving radiotherapy treatment. This went well and her 'hot spots' were much reduced, preparing her for further expensive treatment abroad. Whilst this was going on, her parents visited doctors in Germany who have been trying a new procedure which uses 'stem cells' to replace the damaged ones in the patients body. Although relatively new, the success rate has so far been very favourable and currently at a much higher rate of success than treatments available in the USA, albeit the sample rate is still very small in comparison. After discussions in Germany and advice from medical consultants in the UK, the family have decided to try Vanessa with treatment in Germany in the first instance. Travel and medical costs will of course be lower, but the decision has been made on medical grounds and not those of cost. They are gearing up for Vanessa to commence this treatment in Germany, commencing in August 2012. Whilst everyone hopes this treatment will be a complete success, doing it this way does not remove the possibility of attending further treatment in the USA (which uses a different method of treatment) should things not turn out as well as hoped. For that reason, the sum of £850K raised may indeed ALL be required to help save Vanessa.
Although her treatment has been completed for now, pending the trips to Germany, she has still not had an easy time. After London, all her antibodies and immunities had been destroyed and she picked up a serious infection which her body was unable to fight. This resulted in her being rushed to hospital in Glasgow, where she had a particularly severe reaction to the anti-biotics and drugs being used to treat her and was very seriously ill as a result. Fortunately, the medical staff were able to stabilise her and treat her over a week to kill all infection and get her fit again, but it was very scary for the family at the time.
Since then, Vanessa has continued to be a happy smiling 12 year old, taking part in many events with her schoolfriends and family.
If she can have another month or so without complications, the next battle with her disease will take place in Germany, where real progress can potentialy be made.
Thanks for the continued interest. The family are happy to answer questions, as best they can, at any time you have them.
Hi folks,
The next step in Vanessa's journey has begun !!
With acknowledgement to the Daily Record who carried the story and have helped the Appeal immensely, and of course with thanks also due to everyone on PPRuNe who has helped as well !!
Vanessa is going to Germany !! (http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/scottish-news/vanessa-riddle-is-going-to-germany-for-life-saving-1248366)
http://i2.dailyrecord.co.uk/incoming/article1248357.ece/ALTERNATES/s615/Vanessa+Riddle.jpg
BATTLING Vanessa Riddle is off to Germany tomorrow for life-saving treatment.
And the brave 12-year-old and her family yesterday thanked Daily Record readers for giving her the chance of survival.
Vanessa has been put through intensive treatment since she was diagnosed with the aggressive cancer neuroblastoma in 2009.
But her family are pinning their hopes of beating the disease once and for all on a stem cell transplant to be carried out in Germany.
They have raised £876,000 since launching their appeal to pay for the treatment – with a target of £500,000 – in January.
Vanessa’s dad Chris said yesterday: “It’s a fantastic achievement that we’ve now got here and it’s down to the dedication of the people of Scotland and the Record readers, who have helped us to raise the funds we need to access the treatment Vanessa deserves to get.
“Doctors have told us we have enough money to cover the treatment. It will be ringfenced for any future treatment Vanessa needs, then anything left over will go back into the charity to help others.”
The treatment will be carried out by Professor Peter Lang and his team at Tubingen Hospital, near Stuttgart.
Chris said: “Vanessa will start her treatment on Tuesday and this is why we did all the crazy fundraising. We’ve spoken with doctors and we’re now at the point where things have to happen.”
Vanessa has had a course of chemotherapy and radiation therapy in the UK since she suffered a relapse late last year.
She is currently, as far as the medical equipment in the UK can see, clear of the disease.
But doctors have told the family the chances of the UK treatment working in the long term are very small and it is likely that the cancer will just be held at bay for a time before returning.
Without treatment, they put her chances of survival at less than 10 per cent.
Chris said: “In December, when we were told Vanessa’s cancer had returned, doctors gave us the option of chemo in Scotland, radiation in London, a combination of both, or nothing.
“Doing nothing was heavily pushed on to us. The way they sell it to you is that the chances of it working are very small. We had to ask, ‘Do we really want to put Vanessa through it?’
“Vanessa is quite calm and cool about everything. We decided to go for it and she is OK. She didn’t have a great time but had we not put her through the treatment, she wouldn’t be here today.”
The family had at first considered seeking treatment in the US but decided on Germany after researching what would be best for Vanessa.
Chris said: “The German doctors presented a treatment that appeared to be a better fit for Vanessa at a meeting in early March.”
The initial treatment, which involves a stem cell transplant, will take two to three months, with follow-up visits to Germany for six months after that.
The process is not without dangers, but Chris and wife Connie are optimistic about Vanessa’s future once the operation has taken place.
He said: “The Germans have been doing this for a number of years with leukaemia patients and only started doing it in the past few years with neuroblastoma patients.
“They have treated 26 patients in three years, nine of whom have completed a whole programme. Six kids have responded very well and it has either cleared the disease completely or stopped it in its tracks.
“We are not looking at huge numbers, but fairly big percentages. A lot of people are talking about it in the medical profession.”
At her monthly follow-up visits, Vanessa will be given antibody therapy to bolster her immune system.
Chris said: “We hope this is the end of the treatment and that it will have the desired effect.
“Connie, Vanessa and myself are going over together to Germany while Olivia, our 16-year-old daughter will be staying at home.”
And a short update from her dad:
Vanessa is now booked into her hospital room in Germany. She had the tour of Tübingen yesterday and loved the town, she loved going in and out the shops with Connie and she had a lovely meal out last night which she really enjoyed.
Tomorrow she goes into theatre for an access line so the docs can give all her medicines easily, should be a breeze for her as she's been round this block many times before!
I'll keep you posted as we go folks......
Fingers crossed !!!
Latest update from Vanessa's dad.
A little bit of an update on Vanessa folks.......
She's now on day 6 of her treatment here in Tübingen, Germany, so far all is going to plan, which is nice ;)
She had one day at the begining where she felt a bit rough, but since then all good. She has been getting her chemo for a couple of days now in preparation for her stem cell transplant which will take place in a week or so's time. Connie is the stem cell donor, and will have to get injections 3 x a day for a few days before donating her stem cells.....she's really happy about this!! ;)
Vanessa's very happy to be on her own in her hospital room, in fact she's positively delighted to be on her own, Connie and I get thrown out when her pals face time or Skype her! We've got to go and sit in the ward kitchen....boy chat me thinks!....wee minx ;)
Once again folks, I'll keep you posted as we progress....
Chris Riddle
Wee V has been progressing fantastically well, so much so that she can come home for a while. First, an update from her dad, and then an article showing the kindness of people in making it all happen.
Well folks, some good news......wee V is on her way HOME!
The doctors are delighted with her progress so far, she seems to be rewriting the rule book over in Germany; she broke the record for getting discharged from the hospital after treatment, record had stood since 1996 the Docs said! SMASHED......She's a bloody fighter for sure.
She flys home on Thursday night. The flying part was a worry last week for Connie and I; all down to the fact that she has no T Cells in her body yet. Basically this means that she has no immune system and is susceptible to any infections (with potentially lethal consequences!) and as we all know the worst place to be in this position is a commercial airliner!
So, after a 2 day tw1tter campaign to find a private flight, we now have one! Yep, Air Charter Scotland & Jet Logic, 2 Scottish based aviation companies have donated a private jet (and the pilot and crew!) to fly her direct from Stuttgart to Prestwick Airport.......2 AMAZING companies for sure.
Connie and I are absolutely delighted that's she seems to be progressing so well, still many months of treatment to go, however, we're moving in the right direction for sure. I'll keep you posted and thanks for checking in.....
From the Daily Record
Beaming cancer fight girl Vanessa Riddle: My dad's jealous he won't be on my private jet home
THE Ayrshire youngster required a private flight home due to the fact her low immune system leaves her vulnerable to infection and local firm Jet Logic stepped in.
VANESSA RIDDLE was overjoyed last night as she was preparing to fly home by private jet.
The 12-year-old cancer battler, who has been receiving potentially life-saving stem cell treatment in Germany, tweeted: “I’m coming home on my own jet. WooooHooo.”
Record readers helped raise almost £900,000 for Vanessa’s treatment for neuroblastoma – and doctors are delighted with her progress since she had a stem cell transplant about four weeks ago.
But her immune system remains low, which could make her vulnerable to infection if she travels on a busy scheduled flight.
On Friday, we reported how her dad Chris tweeted followers to request a private jet to bring Vanessa home to Loans, Ayrshire.
His message was retweeted to multi-millionaires including Simon Cowell, Sir Richard Branson and Lord Alan Sugar and offers of help soon flooded in.
Yesterday, Chris revealed that Finnish F1 racing driver Heikki Kovalainen offered the family use of his private yet.
But in the end an offer from Ayrshire’s Jet Logic and East Kilbride’s Air Charter Scotland suited their needs best.
Chris said: “I couldn’t believe the response we got within just a few hours after the article appeared in the Daily Record.
“I also received a private message from Richard Branson saying he was unable to divert a flight for Vanessa but that he wanted to make a nice donation to our fund.”
Chris thanked Jet Logic and Air Charter Scotland for their “fantastic gesture”, adding: “It just shows how everyone in Scotland has got behind Vanessa.”
Vanessa will fly from Stuttgart airport’s private terminal with her mum Connie and granny Marie Holden tomorrow evening.
Her dad will be waiting at Prestwick, where they are due to touch down shortly after 7.15pm.
Vanessa tweeted her thanks to the companies who are providing the brand-new six-seater Cessna Citation, adding: “I think dad’s well jel that he’s not getting on it.”
Chris said: “Vanessa’s been winding me up and sent me a message saying she thought I’d be jealous.
We’re doing this for medical reasons but it’s nice that she will get a bit of comfort from it too.”
Jet Logic boss Leigh Wilson, whose dad works as an air traffic controller with Vanessa’s grandad, said: “I got a call on Friday evening from my sister asking if there was anything we could do.
“I spoke with Air Charter Scotland and we worked it out to get Vanessa home.
“We were happy to help because she is such an inspiration.”
Brilliant news and the generosity of everyone who has contributed to the Appeal, as well as the specific offers from Sir Richard Branson, Heikki Kovalainen, Air Charter Scotland, and Jet Logic, makes you feel proud to be part of the human race. Well done folks !!
https://fbcdn-sphotos-a-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash3/523686_529873143705097_1586756341_n.jpg
Daily Record Story Here (http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/scottish-news/beaming-cancer-fight-girl-vanessa-1357118)
This tough brave young lady has had more medical grief that most of us will experience in the whole of our lives. I have seen several pictures of her and she is smiling in all of them! Well done Vanessa, keep smiling and fighting and enjoy your life.
212man
3rd Oct 2012, 12:57
God, it's dusty in here. Go girl!!
The VIP pax
https://fbcdn-sphotos-f-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/227572_531269016898843_958251859_n.jpg
Wee Vanessa ... and 'her' jet
https://fbcdn-sphotos-b-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash3/8157_531269080232170_1841908793_n.jpg
Couldn't make the poor girl go home by bus, taxi, train, or her dad's car after arriving on a private jet, could we ? :) Fire up the Bentley ...
https://fbcdn-sphotos-h-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash3/552726_531269460232132_415682225_n.jpg