Losing his beloved granddaughter to an undiagnosed brain tumour inspired Jack Penrose (pictured top centre) to take part in a spinathon last weekend, to raise funds for our Fundraising Group Ella’s Army.
Jack (above with Ella and little brother Shay), 65, withstood blistering heat last Saturday when temperatures were topping 33 degrees, along with 16 friends, during a gruelling 13-hour spinning session. It helped add more than £3,400 to Ella’s Army’s impressive total of £50,000 already raised, thanks to generous donations from the local community in Shropshire.
Ella McCreadie (pictured top right with brothers Shay and Niall), whose mum Sophie is Jack’s daughter, set up Ella’s Army after she found Ella unresponsive in bed in December 2022. The family later learned that the teenager had passed away after suffering a brain haemorrhage caused by an undiagnosed high-grade diffuse glioma.
Sophie (above left with Shay and Niall), who has led two hugely successful Walks of Hope in her hometown, said: “We couldn’t understand how Ella had passed so suddenly and without warning. We were tortured by so many thoughts going round in our heads.
“Dad and Ella had such a lovely relationship. He is very funny and was always making Ella laugh. They often went out on bike rides together, so it was very fitting that Dad’s fundraiser for Ella’s Army was on bikes, even if they were static!”
To add a donation, go to https://justgiving.com/campaign/ellasarmy and comment, ‘inspired by Jack’s spinathon’.
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