Odie organised a special sponsored walk after his little sister was treated at the Royal Alex.
Twenty-month-old Dolly was diagnosed with hip dysplasia, a condition where the ball and socket joint of the hip is not properly formed and had to undergo major hip surgery at the Royal Alex in January this year.
Dolly after her operation
Dolly then had to spend three months in a special spica cast while her surgery healed – not much fun for a little person who just wants to start moving around independently and exploring the world.
Dolly’s big brother Odie, who is six years old, decided that he wanted to organise some fundraising for Rockinghorse because of all the amazing care Dolly had received both during and after her operation.
So, he came up with the idea of doing a five-mile sponsored walk from Cuckmere Haven to Birling Gap, a beautiful route across the Sussex coastal countryside.
And then, on 22 April, a group of eight people set out on the trek and luckily the sun came out for their challenge.
Dolly recovering at home
Dolly and Odie’s mum Carly said, “We walked for my daughter Dolly who had hip dysplasia surgery earlier this year at the Alex, and the staff there took great care of her!
“Odie came up with the idea for the walk but unfortunately twisted his ankle and sadly couldn’t walk. But he met us at the end with nanny, so he didn’t miss out, and we all celebrated with a victory ice cream!”
Along with raising nearly £600, which is an amazing amount, the other good news is that Dolly is well on her way to a full recovery. Carly added, “Dolly’s now doing really well, and everything went as planned with her operation. She’s almost running to get away from me when I want to change her nappy!”
Emma Cunliffe, Supporter Engagement Manager at Rockinghorse was so impressed with what Odie and his family and friends achieved, “We’re so grateful to Carly and the whole group who did the walk for Rockinghorse and raised such an amazing amount.
“And a massive thank you goes to Odie for being such a good big brother and wanting to organise some fundraising after Dolly’s operation!”
Fundraising comes in all shapes and sizes, so if you would like to organise your own fundraising challenge, just get in touch with Emma who can help you with all your planning! You can email Emma on emma@rockinghorse.org.uk or call 01273 330 044.
