rivers2cross

Kindness plays such a big part in my life these days. Time and time again I witness wonderful acts of kindness, and today it once again made my day. The recent release of the Laura Lou teddy bears supporting Laura Hopkinson’s Go Fund Me page led to my American friend Lisa asking me if she could buy one to be given to someone in the UK. This is the second time that Lisa has done something like this, as she actually bought Laura her Buddy bear earlier in the year. The Laura Lou teddy that Lisa has ordered is going to the absolute diamond and one of the nicest, kindest and generous people there is in Natalie Woodward.

Natalie, @iamnatwoodward on Instagram, has stage 4 bowel cancer and has undergone pelvic exenteration, which removes multiple organs in the pelvis. To say that the surgery is not just life-changing, but also a choice of whether to live or die, would still be a gross understatement. I think it’s virtually impossible for someone like myself to fully grasp the magnitude of not just the operation, but the impact on Natalie’s life everyday thereafter and the things she has lost and had taken away from her as a young women . And yet Natalie continues to share her story, talk about what she has been through, and provide support for others going through similar experiences. Nat is a completely deserving recipient of the Laura Lou teddy x

Going back 10 years to when I first started fundraising, I had no idea of how this would all change my life. I was a very quiet, shy and insular person, who had a close group of friends, and back then I would have said that I didn’t need any more friends. In fact during those days of disastrous internet dating, I hated the phrase “just be good friends”. However, the fundraising soon brought me into contact with lots of new and amazing people. I soon realised the value of new friendships and as a result I am now a very different person to the one of 10 years ago. I’ve followed The Alarm for almost 40 years, but during the first 35 years or so I didn’t know more than a handful of fellow fans, and I found it very easy to hide in the background whilst going to many live shows. That has been totally be turned upside on its head. The fans have been amazing in their support of my fundraising and offering me the hand of friendship, and I now have what must be hundreds of brilliant new friends, I can not just go to a gig and know people virtually anywhere in the UK now, but I have been to see the band in New York twice and met so many amazing people there as well.

So here’s to all my wonderful friends that I am proud to say include both Nat and Lisa x