Francesca Lennon will be embarking on a 10-week journey later this year after being inspired by adventurer Ben Fogle. The palliative care nurse, 34, will be travelling across much of the nation from June 20 - from Scotland down to Cornwall.
She hopes to raise £500,000 for terminally ill children with her trip, which she has called ChatUK - Children’s Hospices Across The UK. Francesca, from Chenies, Bucks., says she got the idea of doing a cross-country adventure after listening to a talk in 2019. She decided to do it all on a bike despite not owning one at the time - or even being able to ride.
She said: "When Ben [Fogle] said, 'find your Everest', it inspired me to discover mine. I wanted to do something active that raises money and awareness for something I care passionately about.
"I am passionate about my work as a children’s hospice nurse, I love running and and love bringing people together and working as a team. Running would take too long and take me away from the job I love and the work I am passionate about promoting - and that is how the idea was born to cycle around every children’s hospice in the UK. This is made all the more of an Everest by the fact I didn’t have a bike and couldn’t officially say I can cycle."
Olivia Lennon, one of Francesca's three sisters, says she is in awe of her sibling - who has now taught herself how to ride a bike for the challenge. She said: "I would never have imagined her of all of us sisters to pick up a bike and cycle for 10 weeks across the UK."
Francesca has been a children’s nurse in the NHS for more than nine years, working at Evelina London Children’s Hospital and University College London Hospitals. She then decided to move into the children’s hospice sector and left her most recent job in July to support a girl with a brain tumour - and give her time to focus on ChatUK.
Francesca said: "Despite having been a nurse for nine years, before working in hospice care, I had no idea what these children and their families go through. I thought these families needed more care anyway, but through caring for them in their own homes I have seen how illness has impacted every part of their lives and how much support they really need."
Francesca's life has been dedicated to helping children, and she even featured in one of BBC's Children in Need stories in 2018. But, sadly, she has also had to experience her own losses along the way.
Tragedy struck only a few weeks ago when Francesca lost her "best little buddy" to acute myeloid leukaemia. Henry Luk, the son of one of her best friends, passed away on February 27 after being diagnosed in 2019.
Francesca said she shall "miss him beyond words", but his memory lives on and plays a powerful and vital role in her journey. She has even named her bike for the challenge after Henry.
She said: "Our story began at Evelina London Children’s Hospital in 2010, when I became friends with Henry’s dad Hua after we worked together in A&E. I’ve been Auntie Francesca to Henry and his brother Edward since they were born and his devastating diagnosis in 2019 and subsequent lockdowns lead to time together and a bond that meant they have become family in all but blood."
Henry and Francesca's bond has been the "greatest privilege of her life", she said, and the tough loss is now her driving force for the months ahead. She said: "Love is a huge part of what ChatUK is about. It was inspired by seeing the love of the children and families I have cared for as a nurse and it will only be strengthened by my own love for Henry and all he has taught me.
"When I had the idea for ChatUK, I could never have imagined that just four months before I would be on the other side, experiencing the loss of someone I love so much. It has made me even more grateful for the support of children’s hospices. It is with the hugest amount of love that I will be dedicating ChatUK to Henry.
"Henry always wanted to help others, and I know with him by my side throughout this journey we’ll be able to make an even greater difference to seriously ill children and their families all over the U.K. Kindness and compassion can make such a difference when everything else is out of control."
Francesca also aims to raise awareness over the lack of children's hospices around the world, and highlight the difference they can make. She said: "The UK really are leading the way in children's hospice centres - we have 54, but there are barely any others in major countries around the world - we need to highlight the difference this support makes to families."
Francesca has said that all the money raised will go to the charity Together for Short Lives, which splits any money raised between all the children's hospices in the UK.
Donations can be made here: https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/chatuk
And you can follow Francesca's journey on social media @chatuk54.
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