Head shave date for Ashlie

Ashlie is going to shave her head on her 17th birthday to raise money for the haemotology unit in the Royal Victoria Hospital and for CLIC Sargent, a charity who provide support for children and young people with cancer.

This is a particularly poignant charity effort from the young Limavady girl, following the tragic and untimely death of another local girl, Leah Whyte.

Ashlie said that her fundraising appeal is in honour of both her friend Molly Clarke from Coleraine, who has been diagnosed with Lymphoma and Leah Whyte, a 16-year-old from Limavady who recently passed away after a battle with Myelodysplasia, a form of bone marrow failure.

““I’m going to shave my head on March 24, when I turn 17,” said Ashlie.

“At the age of two I had acute lymphoblastic cancer - a cancer of the blood. My family videotaped a lot of my treatment so I was able to watch it back when I was a bit older and I was better. I was in treatment for about two years.

“My friend was diagnosed with lymphoma, she’s from Coleraine. It is in support of her and Leah Whyte as well.

“I am going to be donating the money between two charities - the Haemotology Unit in the Royal and CLIC Sargent who provide a support group for teenagers.”

She added: “Most people, when they hear the word cancer, usually think of bald people, sick people, chemo. Yes, all those things come along with it but unless you’re actually going through it, no one knows what cancer actually is.

“It’s not just about finding out you have it and then getting chemo and boom you’re better, its a daily battle of aches and pain, constant sickness and tiredness, mixed emotions and confusion.

“Its those dreaded chemo days where your poked and prodded and throwing up everywhere, to those horrible days where you see all your friends going out and doing things and you having to stay in the house because you can’t risk infections.

“It’s going from being one person to a whole different person. You go from being a normal child or adult, feeling poorly, seeing a doctor, getting tests, getting sent to a specialist, getting more tests, finding out that you have cancer, to getting your wiggly inserted, getting your first round of chemo. You just don’t get a break.”