A Melksham local is gearing up for a gruelling 24-hour cycling challenge to raise funds for two charities close to his heart in honour of his ‘miracle’ niece, Ella.
On September 13th, 26-year-old Jack Harris will set off on an endurance ride around Melksham, pedalling non-stop (with a few quick refreshment stops) for a full 24 hours.
His goal is to raise £1,000 for Julia’s House children’s hospice and the Royal United Hospital Bath (RUH) – two organisations that support his niece Ella and her family.
Jack’s niece Ella Bevis was born with Edwards’ syndrome, also known as trisomy 18, a rare genetic condition. Many children with the condition don’t survive beyond birth – but Ella is defying all the odds.
Her mum and dad, Chloe and Kyle, describe Ella as their “little miracle child.”
“We were told to say our goodbyes when she was just three days old – her consultants didn’t think she’d survive long enough for us to take her home,” says Chloe, who lives in Chippenham. “But she’s five now. She’s surpassed all expectations, so we really have no idea what she’ll do next.”
As well as causing problems with pretty much every organ, digestion and breathing, Edwards’ syndrome causes developmental delay. Five-year-old Ella is around the size of an 18-month-old and developmentally she’s roughly equivalent to a child of that age too.
Jack said, “Ella’s such a happy, positive little girl. She’s had so much stuff thrown at her for her whole life, and she just gets through it. Edwards’ is quite a life-limiting condition. I just want to show my support and help however I can.”
Round-the-clock ride
Jack’s cycling route will loop around Melksham, covering areas like the town centre, King George V Park and some of the ‘Welcome to Melksham’ signs. He plans to start at 11am on Saturday and finish at 11am on Sunday, using the Water Meadow pub car park near his home as a base for supplies and quick breaks every few hours.
“I plan to keep going for the whole time but will need little breaks in between. Every two or three hours, I’ll stop for a maximum of 10 minutes and then I’ll set off again. I want to be moving as much as possible.”
While Jack won’t have anyone with him for the entire challenge, some of his friends plan to join for a few laps to offer moral support. One of his closest friends will help see him through the final push on Sunday morning.
Causes close to home
“I call Chloe (Ella’s mum) my ‘big little sister’ because she’s one year older but I’m so much taller,” added Jack. “She’s just the kindest, most caring person and an amazing mum to Ella. And Kyle is such an amazing, loving dad too – he works so hard for their family
“I asked Chloe where she might like the donations to go, and she said to Julia’s House and the RUH because they’ve both helped so much, and she wanted to give back. Ella spends a lot of time in hospital. She’s always looked after in a familiar room and they’re so supportive at the RUH.
“I know Ella also really enjoys going to the Julia’s House children’s hospice or when their nurses come to them at home. As you can imagine, it’s like a full-time job looking after Ella, so it’s important for Chloe to have that respite.”
Time for play at the hospice
Chloe said, “It’s brilliant when Ella comes to Julia’s House because she can have the best time in a safe space, with other children. And she loves other children – she thinks they’re so funny! She loves playing in the sensory room, or getting messy with paints, and she loves music, reading and baking too.
“And for us, it’s reassuring that we can leave Ella with her nurses and carers and not worry. We trust our Julia’s House nurses and carers completely because if anything were to happen, they know Ella so well and know what to do in an emergency.”
Julia’s House Fundraising Administrator, Nicky Clack, said, “We’re so grateful to Jack for taking on this mega cycling challenge to raise funds for Julia’s House, and we’ll be cheering him on over the weekend. What a super uncle he is!
“As a charity, Julia’s House relies almost entirely on donations to provide our compassionate and specialist care for families like Ella’s. We can’t do it without our wonderful fundraisers – thank you Jack, and good luck!”
This ride’s for Ella
Jack’s passion for cycling started when he was young. “I’ve always been into my bikes, since I was little,” he said. “My mum didn’t drive when I was younger, so we used to cycle absolutely everywhere, and I never grew out of that.”
“You feel a bit helpless because there isn’t anything you can do to change their situation, so this cycling challenge is my way of doing something to try to help.”
With support from his workplace G Plan Upholstery, plus his friends, family, and the wider Melksham community, Jack’s determined to cross that finish line – and make a real difference for the people who’ve been there for Ella every step of the way.
You can follow Jack’s training progress and donate via his fundraising page: https://www.gofundme.com/f/jacks-24-hour-cycle
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