Alkionides UK volunteers have given a lot of their time in order to provide accommodation for 12 patients coming from Cyprus for essential treatment. Fortunately, with your help and the sponsorship from companies and philanthropists who trust our work, we had the funds to cover their accommodation at our ‘nest’ and various hotels near their hospitals. Thank you! The moral support provided by our dedicated team of volunteers is invaluable.

February proved to be our busiest month. Another three transplant patients arrived as well as 12-year-old Manolis with serious eyesight problems. Young Ioannis returned for a check-up and prosthesis adjustment. Panayiotis is another young man who comes to Stanmore Orthopaedic hospital regularly.

Maria-Camelia, our very first guest who, as a five-year-old, stayed for a year to be treated for a rare cancer, is now a teenager and coming for a short visit. A tragic mother and daughter, both fighting breast cancer, came for surgery.

Unfortunately, 32-year-old George, who is suffering from amyloidosis, is still waiting for a second liver transplant at King’s College Hospital.

We provided financial help and moral support for a young boy involved in an accident and now in rehabilitation at Wellington Hospital and a lady having treatment for a brain tumour.

George, born with scoliosis, had an operation on his back and had to stay, together with his parents, for several weeks. Maria-Christina came to study at UCH, only to be diagnosed with leukaemia. We helped to relieve the financial strain incurred by these families.

Our volunteers Galatia, Anna-Maria and Maro were at their side on a daily basis!

We are very proud of our young people who support Alkionides UK. Our amazing Vice-President Tatiana der Avedissian, led a team together with Constantinos Markides that ran the Marathon in Greece and raised over £5,000!

A young lawyer, Athina Panjari, decided to raise funds by climbing Mount Kilimanjaro in January and succeeded in raising over £7,000!

Look out for and please sponsor David Nicholsby who has been training hard to prepare for a triathlon (running, cycling, swimming) on 1 June at Blenheim Palace!

Our Birmingham ladies organised an enormously successful trip to Winter Wonderland for 22 children with special needs and their families. The wonderful result was that parents had the opportunity to meet each other and everyone had a great time!

Another trip is planned, this time to Disney-on-Ice on 7 April. This was an initiative that started because of the generosity of the Keith Coombs Trust and we hope to be able to continue in the future. A big thank you to Helen, Doulla and Kyriacos!

A sponsored walk is taking place in Hyde Park on 6 July in aid of Alkionides UK. Our generous hosts, the Hambi family and the Windermere Hotel, Victoria, will prepare a lunch for the athletes at the Brasserie! Start collecting…and training!

Becoming a member of Alkionides costs ONLY £20 a year or £50 for three years and it really makes a difference. Join online at www.alkionides.org or post a cheque to Alkionides UK, 15 Westdene Crescent, Reading RG4 7HD.

 

 

 

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