Sponsored by
Doing it for Maisy
A brave Wigan toddler has been diagnosed with a rare form of cancer after going to the doctor's with a cough.
Fourteen-month-old Maisy Rose Bolus, of Orrell, was admitted to Ormskirk Hospital with sickness and a cough in June.
But two days later three doctors and two nurses gathered around her cot to tell her parents the heartbreaking news that a CT scan had revealed a rare cancerous brain tumour.
Since then, Maisy has started undergoing rounds of draining chemotherapy in a bid to ward off the malignant grade three or four tumour.
And she has picked up plenty of heavyweight support in her ongoing cancer battle.
That's because hulking 19-stone rugby player Danny Flynn has just completed a gruelling 500-mile solo cycling challenge to help raise precious funds for little Maisy and her family.
Danny, who pedalled from Carlisle to Land's End in Cornwall last week to raise money for Maisy and her family, said: "My wife, Emma, is very close with Maisy's family and has been helping them through this tough time so I wanted to do something to show my support. It was a bit of a spur of the moment decision to take on this bike ride though - I'm not exactly built for long-distance cycling!
"Maisy is undergoing chemotherapy at the moment but she's a tough cookie - she's a fighter and everyone is praying she'll pull through."
Family friend Danny, 29, of Haydock, took just a week to complete his marathon mission as he covered up to 70 miles in the saddle every day.
Describing the challenge as "the toughest thing I've ever done", Danny, a child care worker at Nugent House School in Billinge, admitted he got pretty emotional as he homed in on the most westerly tip of southern England.
Haresfinch ARLFC prop forward Danny, whose younger brother Paddy stars on the wing for Widnes Vikings, added: "When I got about five miles from Land's End I suddenly got quite emotional about it all - I was a bit of a wreck to be honest. But I was on top of the world when I finally made it to the finish line.
"It was tough doing it all on my own though because of the boredom. I even started talking to the sheep to keep myself occupied!
"I think I've caught the bug though now. I'm already thinking about trying a 300-mile canoeing challenge for Maisy along the River Severn."
You can still add your support to Danny by searching for The Maisy Rose Project on the Facebook social networking website.
Email to a friend
Print this page
Looking for...
Featured advertisers
Jobs
Search for a job
Motors
Search for a car
Property
Search for a house
Weather for Wigan
Saturday 26 May 2012
Today
Sunny
Temperature: 10 C to 23 C
Wind Speed: 23 mph
Wind direction: East
Tomorrow
Sunny
Temperature: 12 C to 24 C
Wind Speed: 18 mph
Wind direction: East
