Samantha Westlake

I am going to do a 5 Mile swim at Newbridge leisure centre, i have to do 320 lengths of the pool. I am fundraising for Ieuan the lion Memorial fund, to help children in Wales with cancer, life threatening illnesses and disabilites.

If you are able to sponsor me, it would very much be appreciated, and your money will be going to a fantastic cause

Many thanks Sam xx

Ieuan Jonathan Thomas-Yendle, born on 4th March 1994 and flew away on 3rd July 2007.At the age of 13

Ieuan the Lion Memorial Fund is a Charity which has been formed to help Disabled Children and those Suffering with Cancer, Life Limiting Illnesses, and their families.

We have named the fund Ieuan the Lion purely due to Ieuan,s love of lions and to represent the amazing, unmeasurable amount of courage that he showed. He had the strength and heart of a LION.

Ieuan was born perfectly healthy, on 4th March 1994, in the Royal Gwent Hospital, South Wales... more

I am going to do a 5 Mile swim at Newbridge leisure centre, i have to do 320 lengths of the pool. I am fundraising for Ieuan the lion Memorial fund, to help children in Wales with cancer, life threatening illnesses and disabilites.

If you are able to sponsor me, it would very much be appreciated, and your money will be going to a fantastic cause

Many thanks Sam xx

Ieuan Jonathan Thomas-Yendle, born on 4th March 1994 and flew away on 3rd July 2007.At the age of 13

Ieuan the Lion Memorial Fund is a Charity which has been formed to help Disabled Children and those Suffering with Cancer, Life Limiting Illnesses, and their families.

We have named the fund Ieuan the Lion purely due to Ieuan,s love of lions and to represent the amazing, unmeasurable amount of courage that he showed. He had the strength and heart of a LION.

Ieuan was born perfectly healthy, on 4th March 1994, in the Royal Gwent Hospital, South Wales. He was our third child and made our family complete. When Ieuan was just a year old he was diagnosed with Hypergammaglobulin (CD40 Lygand Deficiency) which meant he had a low immune system and would need treatment on a monthly basis for the rest of his life. Although our lives seemed to revolve around hospitals, Ieuan could lead an active and normal life.

Ieuan loved life and from a young age had many hobbies and interests, singing, dancing, dressing up and entertaining, he was a great fan of everything about Disney visiting Disneyworld in Orlando Florida and Paris Eurodisney. One of his favourite films being the The Lion King. And he was also a big fan of WWE Wrestling

However, at the age of 10years, Ieuan began having co-ordination problems and over the following 3 years despite gruelling tests, hospital admissions and biopsies, Ieuan lost the ability to walk, talk, eat and then see.

During Ieuan,s latter months we vowed that no other family would suffer the uncertainty of not being able to treat a condition because of no diagnosis and agreed that when the results came from the post-mortem we would dedicate our lives to raising funds in Ieuan?s name for the condition that had robbed him of his life. However that was not to be there were still no answers. We have therefore set up the fund to help those who helped Ieuan when the doctor,s couldn,t. To them we shall be eternally grateful.

Our objective of the fund is to liase with the Charities that helped Ieuan through his life, to raise funds to provide grants and other finances where required and to purchase a holiday home to provide holidays and experiences for children and their families where the child is suffering from cancer, life threatening illnesses and disabilities

Ieuan and his family for many years had the opportunity to stay in holiday homes, where Ieuan spent many happy times and we have wonderful memories of these, this would not have been possible without the help of the Charities involved. We want other Children and their families to be able to experience this escapism the way Ieuan and his family were able to. This is an opportunity for the children and their families to escape illness and the intimidating , clinical and sterile atmosphere of hospitals. Our aim is to make the holiday a real life experience for the children and their families.

The holiday home we are fundraising for will be adapted for wheelchair accessibility, walk in shower facilities, extra wide doors and hoists, if these facilities are required.

The holiday home will be sited in Tenby West Wales, where Ieuan spent many happy holidays here. To be able to purchase this holiday home we have to raise over £45,000, as you can see this is a lot of money but with the determination of the trustees and the fundraising activities we will achieve this figure.

FOR MORE INFORMATION ON THE CHARITY PLEASE VISIT https://www.ieuanthelion.com