Support floods in to join Charlotte’s Army
Charlotte with dad Steve and mum Angela enjoying a trip to Disneyland. - Credit: Archant
Messages of support have flooded in from across the globe for a Sidmouth teen battling a brain tumour after an online campaign was launched to raise her spirits.
Brave Charlotte Reid has been working to net cash for medical research into conditions like hers - and now family and friends are amassing an ‘army’ to help her.
Charlotte, 16, was diagnosed with rare craniopharyngioma in July 2015 and saw her life ‘turned upside down’. Her brain tumour is benign, but has affected her growth and short-term memory among other things.
Family friend Andy Turner has asked Facebook users to send messages of encouragement to Charlotte using a special ‘hashtag’.
He launched #CharlottesArmy last week and within minutes it triggered hundreds of responses. Charlotte woke up the next day to more than 1,000 messages – with some from as far away as Australia.
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Andy said: “It upsets me when I hear she’s having a bad day. It really hurts, as she grew up with my boys. All the suffering she’s gone through, she is still smiling - you will never hear her complain. She means a lot to us. We are not doctors or nurses, so we cannot help medically, but if we can make her week with a message - do it.”
Dad-of-two Andy has known Charlotte since she was a baby and wanted to help the family after they had to cancel a holiday to Ibiza last month due to her poor health.
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“What a 16-year-old needs is social media and interactions,” said Andy. “She gets excited just by ‘likes’. It just needs people to give up a few minutes. I am not asking for any money - this is a short message to her.”
Andy hopes some famous faces will send Charlotte a message and that people will continue to push the ‘hashtag’.
Charlotte’s mum, Angela, said the campaign has encouraged the teenager to launch a project to raise £20,000 for the Brain Tumour Research centre at Plymouth University. The amount will pay for a week of research at the centre, which specialises in low-grade brain tumours in teenagers and adults.
Angela added: “The idea of Charlotte’s Army is to bring an army of people together to help raise awareness and raise money that will go to brain tumour research.
“It’s lovely for her and it makes you aware there are people interested about what’s going on.”
Find out more at www.justgiving.com/Angela-Reid11. To send Charlotte a message, visit her Facebook page, Charlotte’s Dream – Sidmouth Girl, and use #CharlottesArmy.
