A few of you may remember Willberry sending out a call for runners to join #TeamWillberry at Bath Half 2021. Its safe to say he was blown away (albeit not surprised considering how awesome she was!) by how many people were #inspiredbyHannah to lace up their trainers for 13miles! 

Have a read to hear from some of the team themselves....

Lindsay - JustGiving

"I’m inspired by Hannah after my own diagnosis last summer. Her story inspired me to be brave, to keep fighting and hold onto my dreams. I was a keen runner before my diagnosis, having already run The Grizzly for Willberry, and was aiming to run the London Marathon too. Sadly Covid and my health put paid to that but I still managed to take part in the virtual marathon and walk the distance, 3 days after my second lot of chemo. The treatment took a lot out of me as it went on, and for several months I was really quite unwell, but now I am finished the heavy chemo and healed from my operation. My ongoing chemo is targeted treatment which thankfully doesn’t make me as unwell. 

Lorna - JustGiving

Angela - JustGiving

Because of her I became a Wobbleberry and made lifelong friends amongst the most wonderfully supportive, awesome group of equestrian ladies. 

I’ve always been a bit of a wannabe Wobbleberry (I’ll never compete in a BE80) and now I am a wannabe half marathon participant- I intend to walk!

What I lack in prowess though I make up for it in enthusiasm with raising money and awareness for Hannah and Willberry❤️🐴🧣

1st place in my first ever ODE (Bottom Hole!) at the Owl House Stables, Kent. We raised over £850 for Willberry and even invited the Willberry Merchandising Wagon!

I’ve always believed that it doesn’t matter what you can or cannot do. What matters most is trying your best and helping those that you can, or as Hannah would’ve said: Dream Big, Fight Hard and Never Give up." 

Caron - JustGiving

"I am a Wobbleberry Graduate being the archetypal Middle Aged Wimpy Eventer - managing to complete my challenge at Hannah’s 2nd ODE, started on the XC course by my sister who was the starter on the day.  I was terrified - literally I had never competed and my jumping has only proved how good I was at falling off and breaking bones.  But Hannah inspired me to dream big, fight hard and never give up - and that’s what I did.

I sadly lost my Wobblesteed so have been horseless since the challenge - but a massive supporter of every other Wobbleberry ever since.  SO the Bath Half challenge was just what I needed too challenge myself and do something active in support.  Me and Smartie Berry are busy training, despite genuinely not being a runner and not having run further than 5K - but WE WILL finish on time. I’m training every day.

And - this is the funniest picture of me, Smartie Berry and the glorious Beau at our challenge day in 2018."

Mary - JustGiving

                                           

 

"My name is Mary and I’ve been a Friend of Willberry for five years. I have a horse called Pan and a wonderful Berry pony called Panberry who keeps me in check. 

I signed up to be part of Team Willberry for the Bath half marathon as while running is not my forte, I would quite literally do anything for Hannah and Willberry and this is my chance to challenge myself and raise money for a charity very close to my heart. 

Hannah was an amazing young lady and fought her illness with such selflessness, courage and good humour. She started an amazing charity and I want to help her legacy continue. 

Training is going well and Panberry is happy I think. We are up to running 10k non stop around the woods behind the yard where I keep Pan. I had a bit of a fall the other week (won’t show you the photo but it was a good one) but am all good now. We are looking forward to lighter evenings and warmer weather as we started our training in the snow :).  

Thanks for reading and please, if you can spare a few quid, I would be made up if you could sponsor us."

To find out more about some of our other runners, check out their JustGiving pages(click on their names):

Flora, Lucy, Harry, Sam, Brandon, Tom, Max, Archie, Kieran, Emily & Ellie. 

#inspiredbyHannah

Hannah’s Willberry Wonder Pony Charity is pleased to announce its first fully-funded PhD studentship, based at Middlesex University within the Centre for Investigative & Diagnostic Oncology. The research, which will be led by Dr Helen Roberts (Senior Lecturer), will aim to unravel the complex cellular and environmental control of how a rare type of bone cancer known as osteosarcoma (OS) spreads to other tissues such as the lungs.

The Charity was established by talented horse rider, Hannah Francis, following her diagnosis with the aggressive form of bone cancer in 2015. Hannah was determined to ensure that no-one with a diagnosis of osteosarcoma in the future would have to endure the bleak prospects and archaic treatment regime that she experienced, hence the importance of vital funding into research of osteosarcoma, which usually develops in growing bones. Hannah established her charity in March 2016, before tragically passing away in August 2016 at the age of just 18 years old.

For the past 30 years, survival rates in OS patients have remained unchanged, partly due to the lack of research into why the tumour spreads and what initiates this process. Preclinical and clinical evidence highlights that osteosarcoma tumours likely reside in the bone environment due to ‘protective’ interactions with bone cells. It is hypothesised that disruption of these protective interactions causes the tumour to move from the bone to the lungs in a process called metastasis. Dr Helen Roberts said, “I am delighted that Hannah’s Willberry Wonder Pony Charity has given me the opportunity to investigate why osteosarcoma tumours metastasise to the lungs. Along with our collaborators at the Royal Veterinary College (RVC; University of London), we plan to use cutting edge cell-based assays to define not only the role of the bone cells, but also the lung environment”.

The project will draw on the tissue engineering experience of Dr Scott Roberts (Senior Lecturer in Translational Skeletal Research, RVC) who has spent over a decade developing laboratory grown tissues that can be used for regenerative medicine and the investigation of disease processes. Dr Scott Roberts said, “I am very excited to collaborate on this project. We have built up a great deal of knowledge of how to replicate disease processes using tissue engineering which, along with our current understanding of osteosarcoma biology, should allow us to identify drug targets that specifically supress tumour metastasis”.

The team has wasted no time in pushing the project forward and has recruited a talented student to spend the next 3 years turning the plans into reality. Daniela Paternina will join Middlesex University in April to begin her studies. Daniela, who graduated from Brunel University London with a first-class honours degree, said, “I am thrilled to be part of this exciting research. I can’t wait to begin this journey and generate new understanding of osteosarcoma metastasis”.

Professor Sean Wellington, Deputy Vice-Chancellor Provost at Middlesex University, said, “We are delighted to be supporting this important research at Middlesex University, in partnership with the Royal Veterinary College. Our Centre for Investigative & Diagnostic Oncology is a hub for innovative research by world-leading scientists focused on increasing our understanding of how cancers develop, spread and become resistant to drugs. We are also committed to nurturing the growth of the next generation of talented scientists such as Daniela.”

Rachel Francis, of Hannah’s Willberry Wonder Pony Charity, said, “We’re very excited to be announcing this new project, which is our sixth and the first PhD programme that we’re fully funding. It also represents our first engagement with Middlesex University and we look forward to working with Helen, Daniela and the team. Hannah would be amazed to see that her charity is already funding six projects and we’re so proud of her and her continuing legacy.”

#kickingcancerbutt

Kay Bradshaw contacted Willberry’s Wish team in July 2019 as she had been diagnosed with breast cancer the previous year.  She had been receiving chemotherapy treatment and had already undergone an operation to remove one breast in May, with a second operation to remove her other breast in October.  She desperately wanted something to look forward to and get her through the gruelling and traumatic treatment, and her first wish was to have a lesson on her horse Bailey with Ben Hobday.

The fairies knew that the wonderful Ben can never do enough for Hannah’s charity, and sure enough of course he instantly jumped at the chance to help out.  Kay was absolutely over the moon as she had never dreamed this could be a possibility, but with the treatment in October looming, she decided it would be better to wait until early in 2020 when she was fit and well enough to enjoy this wonderful experience. 

Sadly as 2020 unfolded and the pandemic controlled the country, there looked to be little to no chance of Kay and Bailey meeting up with Ben at any time in the foreseeable future.  This was a huge disappointment for Kay and Willberry, because she had been through so much and needed something to cheer her up.  So when the fairies looked at Kay’s second wish they decided that they had to stray a little from the Charity’s normal path for Wishes, but undoubtedly these are not normal times that we are living in, and some light and hope for Kay was the most important gift that Willberry could give.  

The fairies contacted the wonderfully helpful Gina at Equiclass to ask if she might help with a special wish, and she was delighted to be able to help.  She managed to get some measurements from Kay via an online chat involving two feet, a tape measure and lots of laughter!  Gina finally got all the information she needed, and let Kay decide what she wanted for some her special boots.  Apart from some very swanky styling, Kay also asked if it were possible to have the breast cancer logo embroidered on one boot and Willberry’s logo on the other.  Nothing was too much trouble for Gina and she immediately sprang into action, with promises to get the boots made as soon as possible. 

True to her word, despite the difficulties with Covid restrictions and Brexit, Kay’s boots arrived at the beginning of February and wow what a pair of boots!  Sadly, Willberry’s logo was a little too complex to fit on the boot, but the pink ribbons will get the message across loud and clear to help #kickcancersbutt.    

Kay was absolutely ecstatic when she received them, and she simply could not believe that they were actually hers!  As you can see from the picture below Kay is beaming from ear to ear sat on her horse and best friend, Bailey.  What a wonderful boost to her morale at such a low period, and something that will give her joy for many years to come ❤

Our enormous thanks go to Gina at Equiclass whose kindness, generosity and compassion are greatly appreciated, Willberry cannot thank you enough for helping us to make this wish come true for Kay.

WILLBERRY'S COLOURING COMPETITION!

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