Helping Barry help Ali

Morning everyone! As I’m sure you remember we supported the lovely Florence in Ghana every year and were able to watch her flourish due to the incredible work the St Nicholas Foundation do and in particular the diligence of our wonderful member Barry Hedges. Well, unsurprisingly his dedication to young people is unswerving and he’s working with a young lad called Ali who started at St Nick’s school and has recently been diagnosed with leukaemia and could we help this beautiful boy and his family to get the help he so richly deserves. Of course we can. Keep up the fantastic work Captain Barry and loads of love from all of your friends at 500 Reasons x

 Here’s his nomination in full:

Hello everyone at 500 Reasons,

Thank you once again for everything you’ve done to support Florence, Koku, Olivia, and Freda. Your contributions have made a significant, positive impact on their lives.

Today, I am reaching out to ask if you would consider extending your support to a young boy named Ali. We’ve launched a fundraising campaign for him on JustGiving, and you can find the link below:

Support Ali on JustGiving

I am currently in Ghana, and just a few days ago, I sat with Ali’s parents as the doctors delivered difficult news: Ali, who recently started Nursery Class at St. Nicholas, has been diagnosed with Acute Promyelocytic Leukaemia. Had it not been for the proactive steps taken by St. Nicholas to ensure Ali received proper medical assessment, he might not be with us today. When he was admitted, he was gravely ill, and following various tests, he received this diagnosis.

This is heartbreaking news for any parent, but it is particularly distressing for Ali’s family, who live in extreme poverty, have limited education, and cannot fully grasp the gravity of the situation. There is, however, hope—the doctors have shared that with the right support, Ali’s chances of recovery are promising, though the journey will be long and costly.

This case presents St. Nicholas with perhaps the most challenging situation we’ve faced to date, both financially and logistically, as we prepare to support Ali throughout what could be a year or more of chemotherapy.

Would you consider this campaign to support Ali a worthy cause for a donation from 500 Reasons?

Thank you very much for your continued generosity and compassion.

Warm regards,

Barry Hedges