BRAINBOX Stephen Fry has left his mark – so why don’t you?
The QI star is among a host of celebrities who have written a personal message on the Laura Crane Youth Cancer Trust’s virtual wall.
The Wall is a place in cyber space where people can leave a heartfelt tribute to a loved one while knowing they are also doing their bit to help teenagers with cancer.
Messages have flooded in after Fry tweeted this week: “I’ve left my mark on the Laura Crane Youth Cancer Trust Wall (so to speak). Why not leave yours?”
Other celebrities on the wall are The King’s Speech star Helena Bonham Carter, trust supporter Catherine Tate and veteran thespian Brian Blessed.
The Laura Crane charity was set up by Edgerton woman Jacqui Roeder in 1996, following her daughter Laura’s death from cancer at the age of just 17.
Super League rugby players Keith Senior, of Leeds Rhinos, and Andy Raleigh, of Huddersfield Giants, are the charity’s ambassadors and helped to launch The Wall.
The money raised will go towards helping to alleviate some of the boredom and feelings of loneliness and isolation that many young cancer patients experience in hospital.
Andy Raleigh said: “I often visit schools to talk about the work of the Laura Crane Youth Cancer Trust and I think The Wall will be a great tool for young people to use to fundraise and express their support in the fight against cancer in young people.”
Keith Senior added: “We do all we can to give young people a voice and they will help fund initiatives such as Chat-World to give these young people the peer support that they need.”
Chat-World is a virtual world where teenage cancer patients can escape to.
It will be based on an island which will be fully open for them to explore using their 3D ‘avatar’ – a virtual representation of themselves.
The program will mean they can chat in a secure environment to other teenage cancer patients throughout the UK who are going through the same thing.
There are 29 hospitals throughout the UK that admit young cancer patients and the charity makes funds available to each of these hospitals.
Two of these hospitals are St James’s University Hospital, Leeds, and Leeds General Infirmary.
Birstall brain tumour survivor Georgina Woodcock, 15, is supporting the fundraising initiative.
She said: “I am really excited about being able to leave a message on The Wall.
“I really hope people join in and leave their message too. I have been helping the charity design Chat-World and can’t wait to use it. The more people that leave a message on The Wall, the sooner I can start using it properly.”
The Wall will be online for a minimum of two years, meaning the messages left will be a lasting tribute.
You can also pin photographs up and it can also be used to leave messages of congratulations, good luck messages or Happy Birthday greetings.
Leave your message at www.lauracranetrust.org/thewall
