Doctors and staff from Surgeries in Darlington and Aycliffe took part in a fundraising Quiz where the proceeds went to the winners, who then decided which charity to support. Triumphant with their success was Bewick Crescent Surgery who took first and second place and were even more delighted to beat their rivals Pease Way Surgery. The winning team chose the Kieran Maxwell Fund, donating £500 for research into Ewing’s Sarcoma. It is quite apt at this point in time to show support for Kieran, a patient with the Bewick Surgery, who is terminally ill with an incurable condition. Readers will have seen the publicity surrounding 18 year old Kieran, a local hero, chosen to carry the Olympic torch. Heighington Village have shown their high regard for this brave young man by erecting Christmas lights early. Members of the Quiz Team were Drs. Bamford, Welsh and Stephenson; Nurses C. Kavanagh, A. Wake, Julie Carter and Margit Howard; Practice Manager Helen Hobson, her daughter Natalie and her boyfriend James Raine; Receptionists Ann Hogan and Gill Rodda.

 

The following is an extract from Kieran’s Facebook page:

First of all I know a lot of you have shared the piece the Northern Echo did about me and the ‘Light Up Heighington for Kieran’, but I want to clear something up. It doesn’t matter what I do Ewing’s Sarcoma will kill me. There is no curative treatments for 2nd relapse Ewing’s Sarcoma, they could slow it down, but I would be spending a lot of time in hospital both for chemo and in-patient stays, due to infection. This is why I decided NOT to have chemo. I’ve not given up, it doesn’t matter what I do IT WILL KILL ME. This is why I want to do the research grant to see if we can get additional options for those fighting now and those who will be diagnosed today/ tomorrow/next year. You can support me here: http://bit.ly/KMLegacy I do want to thank Michelle Chadwick for her daughter’s idea to get Heighington, Darlington, United Kingdom to put their Christmas decorations up – it is such a lovely idea and does mean a lot to me and my family.

Kieran Maxwell Heighington