NURSERY kids have taken part in a fundraiser to support their teacher who was diagnosed with cancer.
Jade Crawford, from Johnstone, is a nursery practitioner at Abbey Nursery in Houston and is currently going through cancer treatment.
The 21-year-old was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukaemia in April 2022 after having constant pain in her legs.
Now children from her nursery have taken part in a ‘welly waddle’ to show their support.
Jade said: “I was in shock and I burst into tears. I couldn't take in what the doctor was saying to me.
"All I remember was I was told to go home and pack a bag and wait for someone from The Beatson to phone me.
“Within 48 hours, a bone marrow biopsy and more blood tests were done at The Beatson. One week later I was admitted to The Beatson to start my first round of chemotherapy.
“The treatment itself was tough but what made it tougher was not being able to see any of my family or friends due to risk of infection.”
The children at the nursery raised £3000 for different cancer charities by taking part in the 'welly waddle' activities, with £1500 being donated to The Beatson Cancer Charity.
Nursery manager Jennifer McLaughlin came up with the fundraising idea following Jade’s diagnosis as a fun way for all the children to feel included in showing their support.
The sponsored event took place between September 26 and October 3 last year.
The children brought their wellies to nursery each day during the activity period and took part in different walks in the local community. They also took part in fun-filled activities including art welly creations and indoor welly throws.
Jennifer said: “The team at Abbey Nursery wanted to support Jade during her treatment.
"One of the ways we felt would be most meaningful to Jade was to allow her to share her story with our families, sharing her journey and how far she has come.
“On the sponsor forms Jade shared her story and chose two charities for the welly waddle fundraising money to be split between.
"Jade herself mentioned that The Beatson was a fantastic support from her diagnosis and through her recovery and we have heard just how much the Beatson means to her personally because of this.
“The children loved participating in the welly waddle and some even said they felt like Peppa Pig splashing in the muddy puddles. The walks were filled with laughs and giggles from the staff and children.
“We miss Jade incredibly and are so happy to hear she is in remission. We are more than just a staff team; my team are like my family and I would always aim to support and help all of my staff in any way I can. Jade has a fantastic support group around her and a staff team that will always look out for her, it's so important that she has that.”
Seonaidh McGuire, community engagement fundraiser at Beatson Cancer Charity, said: “We are so grateful to everyone at Abbey Nursery for taking part in fundraising events in aid of our charity.
“This generous donation will go towards supporting more patients like Jade and their families as they go through treatment following a cancer diagnosis.
“We’d like to thank Jade for choosing our charity to benefit from the fundraising activities and we’re wishing her all the best.”
You can find out more about the Beatson Cancer Charity at beatsoncancercharity.org
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