Team Nads raises over £22,000 to help youngsters with cancer in Exeter
Nadia Hobbs, 18, from St Thomas, celebrated the end of her cancer treatment on 13th May with family and friends at Sawyers, Exeter.
Together they have managed to raise a staggering £22,000 for Teenage Cancer Trust, which will help to transform the lives of young people with cancer in Exeter.
Nadia Hobbs is a student at Exeter College, which has chosen Teenage Cancer Trust as its charity of the year.
Nadia has continued her childcare studies whilst going through her treatment, and her diagnosis has had such a life altering impact on her that she has decided to work with other young people going through cancer.
Nadia’s supporters, known as ‘Team Nads’, have taken on various fundraising activities since November last year from head shaves and bake sales to challenge events.
Ateam of 14 took part in Exeter Rock-solid Race on 19th March and got stuck in to show their support for Nadia managing to raise £2,527.77.
Most recently, Nadia’s boyfriend’s mother, Emma Hutchins took on Mount Snowdon alongside her daughter and friend.
Nadia was diagnosed with the extremely rare rhabdomyosarcoma in November last year after developing a painful lump on her jawline. Repeated visits to her GP and dentist proved inconclusive but further tests in hospital showed that the lump was cancerous.
Nadia spoke of her experience: “I was devastated when I was first told I had cancer, I thought 'why me' my whole life was then turned completely upside down and then when I lost my hair I just didn't feel like me anymore”.
After seven months of treatment, including radiotherapy and chemotherapy, Nadia completed her final treatment on 29th April. On 13th may the family celebrated Nads second blue day, as blue is her favourite colour to mark the end of treatment.
The day raised £2,621 and involved members from the local community all wearing blue and having cake sales. Alongside this an individual walked a marathon in blue before joining the family for a blue wig walk through the town to raise awareness of cancer in teenagers.
Finally the evening tied together the end of a life altering seven months for Nadia with the family presenting the cheque to Regional Fundraiser Melissa Kent from the charity, before finishing with a raffle and auction.
As Nadia is coming to the end of her treatment, she is able to reflect: “I've had a chance to be involved with many events the charity have ran and the nurse has always been there to help me and my family from doing boring paper work to just checking how we are all doing. My friends and family have been the main people who have kept me going, especially my mum.
"We have raised loads of money and awareness for the charity along the way I just hope one day some of the money raised will go into a teens unit nearer to home like Exeter so teenagers like me can be more supported without having to travel to Bristol.”
Melissa Kent Teenage Cancer Trust Regional Fundraiser said, “I have got to know the family well in this time, and their incredible enthusiasm to help others through fundraising is so impressive when they are going through so much themselves.
"Nads has shown strength after strength and I am so pleased that her treatment is finally over. I’d like to say a huge thank you to everyone who helped towards raising this incredible amount. This money will go towards desperately needed services for local young people with cancer.”
Each year, over 200 young people from Bristol, Somerset, Wiltshire, Gloucestershire, Devon and Cornwall, are diagnosed with cancer. Across the UK, seven are diagnosed every day.
Traditionally treated either on a children’s ward or on an adult ward often alongside elderly patients, young people can feel extremely isolated during treatment, some never meeting another young person with cancer. Being treated alongside others their own age, by experts in teenage and young adult cancer care, can make a huge difference to their experience.
To support Nadia, please visit her Just Giving Page https://www.justgiving.com/Nadia-Hobbs
Teenage Cancer Trust relies on donations and needs local communities to support its work with young people with cancer. It costs over £600,000 a year to maintain the new unit, fund specialist staff and support the free cancer awareness sessions that are delivered in schools, colleges and universities across the South West.
For more information visit www.teenagecancertrust.org or email fundraising@teenagecancertrust.org
