Three year old boy aims for great heights in memory of friend
Three year old Ruairí Maher plans to become the joint youngest person in Britain to climb Scafell Pike, to raise money for childhood cancer research.
Ruairi going out for a training walk with his dog Bixby!
On Saturday 31st July 2021, Ruairí will climb Scafell Pike, the tallest mountain in England, in memory of his friend Elara Foxley who sadly passed away in March this year, aged just three years old.
Inspired by Elara, her courage, strength and determination, Ruairí said he wants to raise money for Neuroblastoma UK “to help them fight the monster that took my friend away”.
In doing so, he will become the joint youngest person in Britain to climb the mountain.
“I’m not sure he (Ruairi) fully understands yet, but he knows he wants to climb a mountain for his little star in the sky to raise money for “doctors” to help poorly children.”
Ruairí will be walking with his dad Danny, and his mum Amy and little brother Oscar will wave them off at the bottom of the mountain.
The money raised by Ruairí’s incredible efforts will help fund vital research into neuroblastoma, a rare and aggressive childhood cancer. Thanks to Ruairí’s kind gesture, scientists funded by Neuroblastoma UK can progress their vital research to develop new, more effective and kinder treatments for children with neuroblastoma.
The brightest star in the sky
Ruairi and his friend Elara
Around two children are diagnosed with neuroblastoma every week in the UK. Elara, also from Oxfordshire, was diagnosed with stage 4 neuroblastoma in December 2019. Despite responding well to intensive treatment including surgery, high-dose chemotherapy, and radiotherapy, Elara’s cancer returned in February 2021.
Devastatingly, after being told there was nothing more that doctor’s could do, Elara died peacefully in her mother’s arms on 7th March 2021, aged three years old.
Dad Danny said, “We are all devastated by Elara’s death, and nobody more so than her mum Nicky. She’s an amazing woman and Ruairí wants to do this for “Auntie Nicky” as much as he does for Elara and Neuroblastoma UK.
“We are keen to keep Elara fresh in Ruairí’s memory and we always talk about her. Every night Ruairí says goodnight to the brightest star in the sky and falls asleep with a little letter “R” that Elara and Nicky bought him as a gift last year. I’m not sure he fully understands yet, but he knows he wants to climb a mountain for his little star in the sky to raise money for “doctors” to help poorly children.”
Katherine Mobey, Fundraising Manager at Neuroblastoma UK said, “We are so grateful to Ruairí, his family and of course Nicky for their support in such difficult times. Nicky had shared their story in December last year to support our fundraising and help other families. To hear that Elara had relapsed after doing so well was devastating and we were all heartbroken when Elara passed away. And it’s a story we hear far too often. Tragically, like Elara, around half of children with high-risk neuroblastoma will not respond completely to treatment or will relapse. If they do relapse, their chances of long-term survival are less than 10%. We must do more to give these children more treatment options and save more young lives. As a charity, we receive no government funding and amazing fundraising challenges like Ruairí’s are crucial in helping us fund much-needed research into this rare and aggressive cancer.”
To support Ruairí and Neuroblastoma UK, visit his fundraising page at https://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/RuairiBum
To organise your own fundraising event and support Neuroblastoma UK, visit neuroblastoma.org.uk/community-fundraising and download your fundraising guide.