£102,538 raised!
from 2,512 lovely givers
Now no.84 of 150,000 on the JustGIVING all-time leaderboard!
Kirsty is proud to announce…
Crochet
for Cancer!
My name is Kirsty. I am eleven years old. I live in Kent and I have a brain tumour. His name is Terry. I’m having chemotherapy to make him smaller. But don’t worry about me – I’m going to be fine!
Lots of other children get diagnosed with cancer, and need help. I’m raising money for Children with Cancer UK by crocheting 70 bunting triangles – one for each week of my chemotherapy.
If you think this is a good idea and you'd like to help me, here's how to do it!
Donate!
This is the easiest thing you can do. So far I've raised loads but I want to raise more. Much, much more!
If you can spare anything, I'd be so grateful. You can donate on my JustGiving page.
Businesses: don't forget donations are from pre-tax profit :)
justgiving awards: kirsty won!
After 18,000 nominations and zillions of votes, Kirsty was thrilled to be announced as the JustGiving Rising Star Award winner!
Stacey Solomon and Joe Swash surprised her with the award during one of her chemotherapy sessions. They chatted, and crafted (obv), and nurses were heard to shriek in the corridors. It was a memorable afternoon and recognition of all that Kirsty has achieved, as well as the thousands of other children living with cancer.
59 ✅
weeks of chemo
Getting the word out about Kirsty's campaign is the hardest part. So we're immensely grateful to the zillions of people across the country that have put up posters and done their bit.
Kirsty's Map of Help
kirsty in the news
Mat writes: the word is spreading about Kirsty!
Highlights:
• Stacey and Joe surprise Kirsty
• An uplifting and joyful visit from Davina McCall, who instructs you to donate!
• An interview with Badminton England
• A great interview with West Kent Radio
• Kirsty is Channel 5's 'Hero of the Week'
• National support from Hobbycraft
• Coverage in The Sun, Star, Mail, Mirror, Express, Telegraph…
• A great write-up on BBC News
• Pieces on BBC Radio Kent and BBC South East
• The best write-up by Jenny Seymour at The Courier (PDF).
She is so confident and professional in telling her story, we couldn't be prouder.
Staying active!
Every week, doctors ask me to walk across the room on my tiptoes and then on my heels like a penguin. They're checking to see if I'm getting neuropathy (nerve damage), which can happen to anyone on chemo.
One way to help keep it away? Exercise! I've never been so glad to be in my brilliant Boom badminton club and dance classes. And the amazing charity Cyclists Fighting Cancer has even made sure I have a bike I actually enjoy riding!
TN Together for Cancer
During my chemo, I aim to raise as much money as I can for children's cancer charities from my area: the TN postcodes. That means asking a bazillion people and companies if they could help, even just a little bit. So if you're one of them, and you can - THANK YOU!
134 'TN' companies
have kindly donated
£26,624
Follow Kirsty's news
About me
In November 2024, I was diagnosed with a brain tumour. I had an operation to remove some of it – we call him Terry! I was in hospital for two weeks, and then began my chemotherapy.
Last summer, my mum and dad cycled from London to Brighton to raise money for Children with Cancer UK. I wanted to raise money too. I taught myself to crochet just before I went into hospital and I've been doing it ever since! So I decided to crochet bunting triangles, one for each week of my chemo.
How much money would I like to raise?
As much as possible!
What will I do to make it happen?
Anything it takes!
Children with Cancer UK
I chose this charity because they're doing brilliant things to help children like me.
For example, they provide Beads of Courage: you can see some of mine in the picture. Every time I go for treatment, I get a different coloured bead for everything that happens: injections, scans, clinic sessions and loads more.
They are also funding lots of research into brain tumours and how to treat them.
My street team!
I'd like to raise piles of money for children's cancer charities, but I can't do it all on my own! Happily, lots of people have joined in. Could you help too?
big thanks
There are hundreds of people who are making my campaign possible and helping me in so many ways. But I wish an extra special thank you to:
Helen, Lizzie, Susan and Erin at Pembury Hospital
Anna and team at BBC Kent Radio
Dominic Bray / Azara
Libertas
David Cummings
GingerMay
Hobbycraft
JE Bennett Law
Charity Bank
Mental Health Resource
Beau Property
Graham Barker
Fiona Aldridge
Corker Brothers
Revive Hairdressing
Even Flow
AV Trinity
AXA Health team
Search Press Ltd
Hopwood Gardens
Christopher Brian Recruitment
Protection Review
This website is our best-effort attempt to raise money for children's cancer charities, and is run by us, not the charity. Any data collected from you will only be used as described and to help Kirsty raise money. All donations go to charity via JustGiving. Our Privacy Policy For any queries, please use the contact form.
FAQs
(Written by Mat, Kirsty's Dad.)
who gets the money?
Charities that help children with cancer will get every penny, excluding any JustGiving fees. It is sent to them weekly. No donations are paid to us, and we're doing this for free.
why all the paper stuff?
"Everyone is on social media these days: why not use that?"
That's what I thought too. I shared Kirsty's campaign every way I knew how. But then I went 'old school', posting leaflets in my neighbourhood. The donations were higher, and people got in touch to offer their time to post more. Not everyone can donate, but some people can leaflet while they walk the dog. And nearly every village, office and school has a noticeboard!
how did this start?
Here's a brief version of a long story.
Kirsty was diagnosed with a brain tumour in November 2024. She was admitted immediately to Kings College Hospital where they operated; the tumour (named Terry) is benign, but can't be removed. It was pressing on her optic nerves: she was losing her eyesight, and memory.
After leaving hospital she began chemotherapy. Seventy weekly sessions were envisaged, although even that foreboding total has now changed. We saw early and encouraging signs: her vision largely recovered, and her memory too. Chemo isn't pretty, but she's coping well and back to school. Control and stability is the target.
Living in the future isn't healthy: that way anxiety lies. Children don't do that (much), so we're trying to be more eleven year old! One way we can focus on the everyday is to raise money. Mat and Kate – that's us, Kirsty's parents – cycled London to Brighton in aid of children's cancer charities. We raised an amount that now looks somewhat pathetic next to Kirsty's awesome achievements!
I want to help!
You can also use this form to tell me any other ways you could help. Thanks!