Hi, I’m Oli Monks, thank you for taking the time out to read about my Nine For Nicky fundraising campaign.

‘Nine for Nicky’ is in aid of the charity, CiCRA.

The target? To raise £9000 for CiCRA

How? By completing 9 varied fundraising challenges

When? I hope to complete it by the summer of 2018!

What exactly are the challenges?

1.      This year’s BUPA Great Manchester Run 2013

2.      Skydive

3.      Hadrian’s Wall Trek

4.      The Edinburgh Night Ride 2015

5.      The 3 Peaks Challenge 2015

6.      Great South Run 2016

7.      London to Paris Bike Ride 2017

8.      Geneva Marathon 2018

9.      Finally, to climb Kilimanjaro

CiCRA (Crohn’s in Childhood Research Association) is dedicated to Crohn’s Disease and Ulcerative Colitis in children. It aims to create a wider understanding of the condition and to raise enough funds to support medical research that will be able to find more effective treatments and an eventual cure.

Crohn’s Disease is inflammation and ulceration of the digestive tract. Symptoms can be extremely variable but often include severe pain, vomiting, dramatic weight loss or something as simple as the child constantly feeling lethargic. 

This campaign started when my younger brother Nicky was only 13 and had spent the last 4 or 5 years in and out of hospital due to crohn’s disease – missing large chunks of school and spending time with his friends. For me at that age, the biggest disruption was only ever whether I could complete a level of Lord of the Rings on Ps2 before dinner or if I had to actually do some homework. Nothing I say can truly emphasise how disruptive it has been to his childhood.

For some people, Crohn’s Disease is very manageable and once they enter something called ‘Remission’ they can spend long periods of their life without any major obstacles. However, for others, it can lead to life changing ileostomy or colostomy surgery which dependent on the individual can see the complete removal of the colon and/or rectum and the creation of a stoma. Sadly, this is something that Nicky has had to go through just recently and has been a traumatic experience for the whole family.

CiCRA work very closely with the team of experts who have helped treat Nicky at Addenbrookes Hospital over the past 4 or 5 years. Without them, I daren’t think of what Nicky’s wellbeing would be like.

That’s why it’s so important to be able to raise funds to support the work that CiCRA are doing that is providing life-changing support to families just like ours and children just like Nicky.

Thank you for reading and I hope at the very least you’ll now have a better understanding of what crohn’s disease is and the impact that it can on anyone.  Any support or donation that you feel able to give would be greatly appreciated.

Love,

Oli

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