A determined 12-year-old girl from Moray has organised an ice hockey match to raise funds for the Archie Foundation.
Lucy Stewart from Elgin wants to give back to the charity after it helped her family through dark times.
She was born with a rare condition called Tracheo-oesophageal Fistula and Oesophageal Atresia.
Her food pipe wasn’t connected to the stomach, and her windpipe was instead connected to the food pipe, which put her health at risk from the day she was born.
At just one day old, Lucy underwent a major operation to correct the connections but even with them fixed, it still hinders her from leading a normal life.
She struggles to breathe and is susceptible to pneumonia and chest infections.
She said: “Even after lots of operations, things still don’t work as they should. Sometimes I struggle to breathe as my windpipe is floppy and as my food pipe is so narrow, food often gets stuck. I spend a lot of time in the hospital and have done since I was a baby.”
However, Lucy and her family have been supported through the many hospital visits by the Archie Foundation.
Her mum Claire Stewart says Lucy has been “determined” to host an ice hockey match for ages, after being inspired by her father and brother, who play the sport.
Mrs Stewart said: “It started off as just a small event, they were just going to do a usual friendly game with a raffle at it, advertise it and people might come.
“Soon it blew up and is now being held at the Lynx Arena, she’s had shirts designed for it, and people have sponsored the event, so it went from a small thing to a full-on event.”
“She’s super excited about it, she said ‘this is really good, I told you we should do this’, so she is very happy with herself that her idea that she nagged her dad to organise for ages, is now happening.”
Mrs Stewart is amazed at the strong will her daughter shows as she has her hand in all the decision-making for the event despite her illness.
The Archie Foundation makes it ‘so much easier for me and my family’.
Lucy has been busy handing out flyers to businesses as well as putting together a tombola to keep people entertained before the match begins.
She was also keen for other children receiving treatment at the Royal Aberdeen Children’s Hospital (RACH) to come along and has kept tickets spare for them.
Mrs Stewart says Lucy also chose the trophy and medals for the team that wins saying that of course, she had to pick the largest prize possible.
Lucy received treatment at seven different hospitals before coming to RACH, with the family amazed at the generosity of the staff and the Archie Foundation who offered them accommodation during their stay.
Having been unwell most of last year, the family has been in and out of hospital, sometimes even staying for up to four weeks and Mrs Stewart describing it as “a home from home”.
She says the accommodation the charity provides gives Lucy and the family a “sense of normality”.
“The Archie Foundation made these times so much easier for me and my family by providing accommodation so mum and dad can stay close to me when I’m in the hospital and the charity often cheer me up by decorating the ward,” Lucy said.
“This is why I’m fundraising for them. I want to thank the Archie Foundation and help them to help other poorly children and their families.”
The match will take place at the Aberdeen Lynx Arena on August 28, with Lucy doing the honours of dropping the first puck.
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