Josie’s bravery lives on

Oct 6 2007 By Chris Robinson, the Journal

Brave teenager Josie Grove touched the hearts of the nation when she decided to give up life-enhancing treatment for her battle with leukaemia. The Journal launched the Josie Grove Leukaemia Fund to help others fighting the illness which claimed the life of the courageous 16-year-old, of Corbridge, Northumberland, in February. Today her parents, Jacqui and Cliff, write to thank readers who have continued to raise thousands for the Fund which will be used to help young people with cancer in the North-East and across the country.

MANY readers will remember Josie and followed her in The Journal from the first story about her Brave Heart Award last November up to her death in February 2007. I know that many hundreds of people were very deeply touched by Josie. Many have gone on to raise money in her name, many more have drawn comfort and inspiration from her bravery.

As her proud family we have gained so much strength from all the positive things that happened in the last months few of her life, none of which would have happened if it had not been for that first front page article in November and the amazing photo by The Journal photographer Tim McGuinness of Josie in her Ball Chair.

A year on, I want to let people know what we have been doing with the money raised and show them how Josie is still making a difference to children with cancer. I will just let you know what has happened and let you decide how you would like to work it.

The story of Josie’s brave heart award went in The Journal one evening last November and by early the following morning we were overwhelmed by reporters from national papers, magazines and TV. The phone rang off the hook.

Initially Josie didn’t want to do anything but realising the potential to raise awareness of leukaemia and the possibility of fund raising she agreed to talk.

The response was incredible. It was just before Christmas and we were flooded with cards from well wishers, donations to Josie’s leukaemia fund and several people gave Josie some money to spend on herself. We had a wonderful Christmas.

The Journal continued to help encouraging people to raise money in Josie’s name and, in January, Josie had great fun spending a small fortune on crafts and activities for kids on the cancer ward where she had been treated on Thursday, February 22, a very poorly, very proud Josie handed over £10,000 for Children’s cancer research.

As jewellers, we wanted to do something special to raise more money for children with cancer.

Josie was very involved and after lots of discussions about what to do Josie and I came up with a design for a Silver Dragonfly pendant. Each one sold would raise £5 to brighten the lives of Children with Cancer.

The money would be spent on crafts and fun stuff for children on cancer wards and as a cash gift for children like Josie who could not be cured of their cancer.

Josie was aware that the money she had been given from well wishers enabled her do have a few special things that we could not have otherwise afforded. She spent some money on special parting gifts for Cliff and myself, her brothers and sister. She wanted other children in her situation to have some money of their own.

On the Friday before Josie died the first Dragonfly samples arrived – one in silver and one in gold with a small diamond in the dragonfly’s heart. She was thrilled with them and delighted in showing friends and visitors.

Josie passed away the following Monday, February 26, she wore the gold Dragonfly and the silver one was given to Libby, her sister.

An article in The Journal mentioned the website that was hurriedly put together to see how many people would be interested in buying a Dragonfly. Within a couple of days we had more than 4,000 people register their interest.

We have been making them ever since and to date have sold more than 4,000 nationwide and even in some other countries, raising over £20,000.

But better still people have continued to support the fund which had reached a staggering £100,000 by July.

In June we started to get the ball rolling. We offered a £500 cash gift to cancer children at the Royal Victoria Infirmary (RVI) Newcastle whose treatment was no longer curative.

Within two months we had responded to nine applications.

The children are put forward by the Macmillian nurses through the Clic Sargent Team that are based in each hospital. As soon as we receive the application a cheque is sent in the post that day.

This is imperative because in some cases the children are already into their last precious days so literally every day counts.

There are 23 specialist childrens’ cancer hospitals in the United Kingdom and it is estimated that around 500 children a year would be eligible for the Gift. So we need to raise at least £250,000 a year just to meet the cash gifts.

The charity is set up so that apart from the administration costs of running a charity required by the Government
all the money that comes into the
rust is distributed by the volunteer trustees.

But we cannot raise the money through dragonflies alone and so we also need to rely heavily on donations to hit our target.

If we can we also want to send a yearly gift of crafts and activities to each childrens’ cancer unit in the UK to keep the kids occupied and take their mind off their treatment, as was Josie’s wish.

Without realising it at the time, the charity set up by Josie has found a real cause. Josie understood the need because she went through the system herself.

Thank you for your continued support.

Jacqui & Cliff Grove

• For further information about Josie’s Dragonfly please visit www.josiesdragonfly.org