Special

Two years ago I wrote this, please do  go have a read and then come back, you'll want to hear the rest of the story.

Two and a half years ago, our dear friend's little fella, Aidan went into battle with a nasty, unwelcome, unwanted and hideous form of brain cancer. He was only 6 at the time and was six months into his first year of school, had oodles of friends and interests, but in the time it took for his mum, Sue, to walk into a room with a doctor and a nurse waiting with a box of tissues, his life changed.  And so Aidan had to give up a big chunk of his life, so he could save his life.

Today Aidan is 8, has been at school for 2 years, has oodles of friends and interests, and looks and acts like any other 8 year old.  Except he's not like every 8 year old.

Because he has his own private horror story of the In-between.

We only need to imagine it, and then double it, to get even a smidge close to what it must have been like for him and for his family.  And then we need to look at him and try and imagine how someone so young and who'd been so sick could be so incredibly tough and so very, very brave.

To this day Aidan has and continues to smack down this disease.  The medicine, the doctors, his family, and most of all Aidan, are too much for it.  The power of medicine, the power of medical care and knowledge, the power of love, the power of determination, the power of Aidan -  all a particularly deadly combination for the cancer cells that had snuck into his body and that continue to be no longer.

And while frantic to do something, anything to make a difference, his family spearheaded by his big brother Harrison, took on the challenge of helping those who've helped Aidan and helping those who are in the same place as Aidan was.  And so Team Aidan was born in 2011, with a group of 9 and 10 year olds swimming in the iconic Cole Classic 1km ocean swim and raising funds for The Kids Cancer Project.  Aidan was there watching and cheering on the swimmers.  In 2012, the group grew bigger as they completed the swim in rough waters, raising money again for The Kids Cancer Project and with Aidan cheering them on from the beach again.  This year in 2013, there are 20 children aged from 9 to 12 all signed up, all fund raising for The Kids Cancer Project, all facing fears of blue bottles, sea lice, deep waters and crowds of swimmers as they take on the challenge.  I couldn't be more proud of them, especially as my fella Will is one of them.

So you see, this is a little personal.

I don't often ask for much.  I just love that you're here, but if you do feel like doing good, there couldn't be a better place to do it than  here 

Look at Aidan working his Team Aidan swimmers

And if you need like any more inspiration, have a peek at  this but you may need tissues.  And do stick around, Aidan is hoping that next year or the one after, he'll be joining his team in the swim.  Except his team will be doing it with massive lumps in their throats.

Thank you, thank you, thank you.