A Fife dad is marking what would have been his daughter’s 10th birthday by taking part in a special fundraiser supporting a children’s end-of-life charity.
Two-year-old Evie Byrne sadly passed away on May 20, 2013, after battling Neuroblastoma cancer for almost a year.
Since his daughter’s death, devoted dad Danny, 38, mum Shonagh, 36, and big brother Alfie, 11, from Dunfermline have held various fundraisers to raise awareness of local charities, including ‘Run Six with Evie’ in 2016 to commemorate her sixth birthday.
Now the family is holding a ‘Run 10 with Evie’ event and is inviting people to get involved by doing something active, based around the number ten at any point throughout March.
“The challenge can be to run or walk 1k ten times, run a single 10k at the end of the month or any other personal challenge based loosely around the number ten,” Danny said.
“I decided to organise this as tribute to Evie to mark what would have been her tenth birthday and wanted to fundraise for CHAS again because of the incredible care and support the charity provided to my family both during our little girl’s illness and after she passed away.
“Our beautiful little girl was diagnosed with cancer in her kidney three months after her first birthday which she bravely fought for almost a year before we made the difficult decision to move to Rachel House in Kinross for support and end of life care when there were no other options of treatment.”
He said: “We were initially very apprehensive about even going to visit the hospice but we were made to feel very welcome straight away and it was clear it was the right place for us all to be as a family.
“The care and compassion shown by each and every member of staff cannot be described, it has to be felt. Nothing was too much trouble and we left there with positive memories knowing we were all looked after better than we could ever have thought possible in the worst circumstances imaginable.”
Danny said: “The support did not stop there and we have been in contact with CHAS since 2013, taking part in the memory days and always receiving a card on Evie’s anniversary.
“Any excuse to revisit is always taken, and it’s great to run along the hall to see Evie’s photo displayed amongst all the other children who have also been supported by CHAS over the years.
Community fundraiser at CHAS, Maxine Campbell said: “We are so grateful to Danny, Shonagh and Alfie for not only organising this special fundraiser in memory of Evie, but for all the support and awareness they have raised for CHAS in the past.
“It is a wonderful tribute and the funds that are raised will help CHAS support other families just like Evie’s across Scotland. “
To take part in the Run 10 with Evie fundraiser visit https://www.facebook.com/events/1315600348797346