Rawhides take on 800 mile cycle challenge from the Highlands to Wiltshire to support The Royal Marsden Cancer Charity in memory of Artemis Wood
In November 2019, Artemis Alice Wood, youngest daughter of Jody and Juliana Wood, tragically lost her battle with Juvenile Myelomonocytic Leukaemia (JMML), aged just three. JMML is a rare form of myelodysplasia sharing some of the characteristics of Leukaemia.
Artemis was born in Singapore, where her father Jody, a keen amateur cyclist, rode out most weekends with the Rawhides, an amateur cycle club founded in Singapore by a group of friends, all expatriates from the UK.
In July 2021, Jody and a group from the club are attempting to cycle from the north coast of Scotland to the North Wessex Downs in Wiltshire in 8 days, in memory of Artemis and to raise money for The Royal Marsden Cancer Charity and The Institute for Cancer Research.
Jody Wood explained: “Artemis showed fortitude and courage right until the very end. She really was the bravest of little girls and we hope that this ride will raise incredibly valuable funds, in Artemis’ name, to support care and treatment for other children who so desperately need it.
“Artemis touched so many lives, and as a family we are honoured that the Institute of Cancer research has named one of their brand-new collaboration hubs The Artemis Wood Collaboration Hub.
“The treatment and care she received from the Royal Marsden and St George’s Hospital was nothing short of breath-taking. I hope that The Rawhides’ Ride 4 Artemis will therefore not only support their work, but also raise awareness of the extraordinary job they are doing.”
Artemis was diagnosed at Southampton University Hospital and received treatment at The Royal Marsden and St George’s Hospital, Tooting.
She successfully underwent a stem cell transplant at The Oak Centre For Children and Young People at The Royal Marsden’s Sutton campus, in September 2019. Matilda, her big sister, provided the stem cells.
However, whilst the transplant was successful, the side effects of the chemotherapy and transplant were too much for Artemis’ little body to bear.
The money the team hope to raise will be split between The Royal Marsden Cancer Charity and the Institute of Cancer Research.
Professor Mel Greaves, Institute of Cancer Research, whose life has been dedicated to leukemia research, said “Everyone here at the ICR, is honoured that you have chosen to support our research in Artemis’ name and memory.
“We are humbled to be part of her legacy, and we would like to create an enduring link between Artemis and the research advances we will be making for years to come. Given the time we have lost to COVID over the last year, developing smarter, kinder treatments for young patients is vitally important to our mission.
“The generosity of our supporters and donors is incredibly important at this time and we would like to thank you once again and wish you all the best for the ride.”
Dr Rob Dowse, Consultant Paediatric Haematologist at The Royal Marsden, who treated Artemis, said: “Around the world teams of scientists, doctors and patients are collaborating to discover how JMML happens, and to find more targeted, kinder and more effective treatments.
“It is our hope that together we find the treatment that means in the future, all children like Artemis can survive and thrive. The funds raised by these 14 cyclists will help ensure our research teams can continue to make progress. I wish them the best of luck!”
The Rawhides Riding 4 Artemis will take the team on an 800 mile journey starting from Durness, where they will turn down the West Coast of Scotland, past Ullapool and then back inland towards Inverness.
From there, it is on to Fort William and past Glasgow into Ayr. On crossing the border back into England, the group will make their way to Penrith, taking in the Yorkshire Dales before moving onto the Peak District.
The final legs (and possibly the final legs of the riders too!) will see them pedal through Oxfordshire before finishing up in Wiltshire. The riders will pedal over a hundred miles a day for eight days in a row, with a few hills and no doubt some traditional British weather & Covid restrictions thrown in along the way!
You can follow all the action on Instagram or Facebook – @fundraising4artemis
To support the Rawhides in this endeavour, please visit their Virgin Money page: https://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/team/RawhidesRiding4Artemis
All you need to know in 60 Seconds – https://vimeo.com/551831890/b640df5f0d
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