SOMETIMES WORDS ARE NOT ENOUGH.......

Hi,

I hope you and your family are well,

First let me apologies for taking so long to get in touch. My name is Simone Pennant, I am a television producer and last year I interviewed Adrian for a potential programme I was working on.

The programme was hoping to follow someone as they completed there own dream list of things to do while they prepare for the untimely death.

I recently came across the clip and thought you might like to see it. and check you are happy that there is public access on youtube to this clip - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_w97aafZgZM

Adrian spoke so passionately about the issues of donor and bone marrow donation and I was inspired by the work he was doing, if there is anything I can do to help continue to promote the work he as started please get in touch.

Once again sorry it has take so long to get n touch, and I hope this email hasn't come as too much of a shock.

Thank you and With Love
Simone Pennant

Thank you for sharing this film clip Simone. It is full of thought provoking ideas which have a universal application. You know, as a family we are so lucky to have many recordings of Adrian as he documented his journey with terminal illness. I was talking only this week with another Mum who lost her son in a freak accident exactly a year ago. She longs to hear her son's voice again but there is nothing remaining of him save photographs and memories. We are extremely fortunate to have such a wonderful record of Adrian that is permanent and immediately accessible. Thank you for adding to the archive and - yes - we may well be calling upon your kind offer in the future.
With love and best wishes
Kay

What an absolute delight and surprise to start my morning by seeing Adi in a clip I'd never seen before. A "good bloke", indeed. What an incredible man.

Lacey

xx

Kay

Beautifully put as always . It comes as a relief to know I am not the only one who talks to people on busses ect The way I look at it is you never know how that one person has a value in themselves and may also have access to other interested parties . I have spoken to Caroline re the M.P and things are in motion . If you are in contact with any of Adrian's Hartlepool mates please give them my number if they are interested in keeping things on the simmer here . It was a pleasure to speak last week .

To all the AA , any time your feeling nervous or frustrated glance over your shoulder, we are there , and the strange looking one with a beard is me .

Love Dan

Thanks for the post Mrs Kay.

Thanks for the film clip Simone.

Have a nice day to all!

Shiney

Hi Kay, Keith and Carrie.

I hope you are all well.

I couldn't make it to the training days sadly as I was on nights. I emailed Caroline yesterday and she is going to send me one of the tool kits out in the post and then I can have a look through the stuff. She said she would arrange for me to buddy up with someone so that I can start to spread the word, I am really excited!

The army marches on!

Lots of love to you all
Sarah xxx

Thankyou so much for this new footage of dear Adrian. As ever an inspiration and dearly missed. Love to you Kay and Keith. Chris J.xx

Remembered as 'a good bloke'?

Well he certainly achieved that!!!

Honestly, if any of my children are half as good blokes as Adrian, I'd be a very very proud mother indeed. xxx

Hello,

Just a short one,(hopefully)off to work in a bit. I had a marvelous time at yesterdays talk. 90 or so 6th formers, who listened and soaked up like sponges the whole campaign. At least four desperatley wanted to sign up there and then. I felt braver, and unlike talking in front of rows of chairs in an assembley hall, the students were in their refrectory, kind of more personal, less rigid, more relaxed. I talked about every espect of donation, every process, from donor to receipient, how many lives we all have the power to save. Drove home on top of the world, still there today!! The school were really happy with the talk and am returning in may to talk to the other half of the 6th form.
Love to all xx Han

Nice One Hannah .

Every story like this just reminds us why we overcome our reticence .

Dan

Lovely post Kay. Thank you.
I think we're all struck by the dynamism and emotion generated by this campaign. Also the lovely people we've met and the inspiring stories we've heard. It really does restore faith in humanity!

I've just watched that wonderful video clip - it's quite hard to articulate what I'm feeling, but for me, someone who never had the pleasure of meeting him, it is great to see Adrian 'the person'.
Besides being that 'good bloke who made the best of tragic circumstances' he's like the best mate we all wish we had, he really is.

He's so animated here - talking about hopes and dreams - and what makes him tick. It's lovely to 'get to know him' a little more. Very poignant indeed, but no less wonderful for that.

On a personal note, I've sent a couple of letters to schools and now have an excellent heartfelt letter of support (on fancy "House of Commons" paper!!!) from my MP. All the schools in the county will receive these - and a follow up email straight after the Easter break. Oh - and I talk to people on buses too, Dan! (Well, I'll talk to anyone who'll listen, as my friends will tell you!!!) :-)

Love to all - and all the best to everyone with a talk planned; hopefully I'll be delivering one too - soon! :-)

Charlotte xxxx

Ha ha - that was a bit of an essay, wasn't it?! Sorry! :-)

What a wonderful piece and how good to hear how the campaign is going. Adrian has been so much on my mind these past few days and it's wonderful to see this video of him and hear his voice again.

Trying to raise more awareness here in the U.S. in whatever way that I can. Wish I could be part of this program in the U.K. Thank you to everyone who is making it possible!

What a fantastic start to my holidays.
To watch and listen to the boy.....and never seen before footage....
what a totally unexpected surprise. Thank you Simone.

Can't you just feel the momentum?

Good luck to all who are preparing for an imminent talk....

Hannah...nice 1

xxxreiki hugs everyonexxx
dawn

WOW!

It's hard to know what to say after watching that video. Thankyou Simone It's taken me 24hrs to comment openly on it as it made me feel so emotional.

What poignancy, what courage, what a wonderfully 'good' young man.

'The salt of the earth' my late Gran would have said and boy, oh boy, wasn't he just!

Aidy's dream is fast becoming reality thanks to the wonderful people (like Hannah) who are already out there, and the rest of us who, i'm sure, will be out there VERY soon!

Take care all.
Kay, Keith, Carrie & Ian, Liam, Katie, the Team and all AA I send you, as always, Love, hugs and soothing thoughts.
Chris M.XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

hi ya,

I'm not wonderful, I'm just me. I'm like all of you who have been touched, by a person who I have never met.
The reality for me is that over the last few years its been a bit up down, here and there. A bit crap, but I'm a strong determined so and so these days nothing will stop me. Through my own drama's I hope to use that to help make a difference.
I have never met such a wonderfull bunch of people like you all. Myself, I've always been a bit shy and insecure, but something has helped me overcome all of that and its Adrian. I think about him everyday, I miss him even though I never knew him. My heart is here with all of you to carry on his campaign.
Love to all
Hannah x

I really do think you are all amazing. And I think Adrian would be incredibly proud of you all; and of himself. His dream is fast becoming a reality thanks to his fight, and his determination, and thanks to many other wonderful people.

I wish I was in a position to be more actively involved, but for now I must concentrate on fast approaching university finals... eek... Hopefully come the summer I'll have a bit more time to find a more productive way of helping than thinking of you all.

I'm also sitting back on the fundraising at the moment - but watching my family, and my extended family do lots of wonderful work. Since August, we're up to around £18,000 I think, for various causes. About £12,000 of that has been split between ANT and Leukaemia Research in memory of another wonderful young man who lost his battle with AML in August. Hopefully it will help to make a difference. (We're not done yet either!!)

Good luck to everyone who is preparing for talks. My best wishes to all AA as well as all of Adrian's family and friends. A truely remarkable man: I was never lucky enough to meet him, but he has touched my life more than the majority of people I know.

Nicola xxxxxx

Morning all,

Great to see a new post and to see that the AA is growing in strength and numbers. Adrian has truly started something amazing and Kay and Keith are quite rightly very proud.

Well done for everyone getting involved in the talks. It must be nerve racking if you are not used to talking in front of lots of strangers but the topic is so important and so well represented that I am sure you will all do brilliantly.

This is really cheeky but I am doing the Race For Life this year and I thought I would blatantly tart for donations. As I am part of a group and everyone is running in memory of different people I haven't hogged the webpage with info on Little Freddie, Adrian, Steph, Ingrid and my friend Linda who is still suffering. In my heart that is who has inspired me to do it.

I will leave the link here and if anyone wants to donate that is fab but I understand that none of you actually know me, money is tight and thousands of women will be doing it up and down the country.

Anyway as we say in Devon..... Yer Tiz - http://www.raceforlifesponsorme.org/emmahelenwendysue

I meant to close by saying THANK YOU

Em xxx

Hi there,

I know I sound paranoid but it always goes quiet after I have left a post.

Hope all is OK with everyone.

Em xx

Not quiet ! :-)

I copied and pasted part of what I wrote on the Facebook group wall (isn't "copy and paste" just the best invention with computers?!!!)

I'm writing regarding a series called "Lifegivers".
It's on BBC1 (around 9.15am daily) - the first programme was aired today, bank holiday Monday and is now available through BBC i-Player, for the next seven days:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b00jw6nz/Lifegivers_Episode_1/

What an amazing inspirational programme. This obviously was only the first in the series.
I think it must go out live as there were obviously time constraints when interviewing people - but there was a wealth of information and a collection of heart-warming stories from transplant recipients and donors.
Especially impressive was a feature on David Harewood where he describes his own experiences of bone marrow donation. Very, very positive - and very well put across.

Top marks BBC (so far!) I only wish this had a prime time slot!!!
I'm sounding rather like I should be on "Points of View" here - maybe that'll be my next port of call?! :-)

Love to all

Charlotte xxxx

Hi All,

I have been watching it this morning and Charlotte is right it is brilliant. If only they changed the ruling so that you had to opt out of organ donation and not opt to do it. Maybe one day.

Hope everyone is well and had a good break.

Em xx

Hello,

Tonight I joined forces with Andy Gill, to do his first Regester and Be a Livesaver talk at the Northern Racing College just outside Doncaster.
The pupils were wonderful, all wanting to give blood, and Andy was witty, informative, serious, amazing! Well done to you matey!!
I have 2 talks next week, looking forward to them!
XX Hannah

In a way, Adrian did go out and get his family, there is more then one way to do that!

And to all the school talkers, safe trips and good spirits. You guys rock.

Hello,

Have just done a lifesaver talk at Doncaster College. It was a real success, a few blood donors there already, and a couple wishing to sign up to the Bone Marrow Register.
Job's a good un'

XX Hannah

Hannah you are a star. You are the duracell bunny of Register and be a Lifesaver. Very well done indeed!
And congratulations too to all of you who are spreading the word, giving talks in and out of the pilot area. We shall have to have a tot up shortly - it will be great to be able to show the number of people who have been given the facts who otherwise might not have heard about donation. Not to mention bus passengers with glazed looks on their faces ( or in my case, tram passengers ! the conductors don't escape either...! )
Lots of love to all
Kay

Hello Kay

Still waiting to get invited in to do a school talk for real - grrrr!!!
Another batch of letters will be posted this week, so fingers crossed, as the new term unfolds, hopefully I'll get my chance soon!
In the mean time, bus passengers, random members of the public and drunken dinner party guests beware! ...No one is immune from this campaign at my end either!

I have actually had a couple of people come right out and ask what's involved with being a bone marrow donor - hopefully they're not just trying to appease me and shut me up! :-)

I have to say, I'd love to be able to 'borrow' Hannah - or an even ounce of her energy for myself - fantastic work so far and hugely encouraging to the rest of us! :-)

Love to everyone,

Charlotte xxxx

Hello all, (yawning) what a day, am back at work in the morning to visit our Stem Cells Lab, a behind the scenes adventure. Will pass on anything I can when I get back for all us volunteer's out there. I'm talking at another college in Doncaster on Thurs, for 180 sixth formers, eek!! wish me luck!!
xx love to all
han.

Hi Just to let you know I have made a few adjustments to the clip and it can now be viewed at

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rswPXV3GZsg

Please pass on and lets see if we can keep his memory alive!!!

With Love
Simx

Well it's my turn tomorrow! I feel like a parachutist who's watched his friends jump and now has to do it himself. My talk starts at 10.15 in the morning. I went into school yesterday and my main worry is that no one will turn up, the teacher said it is up to them if they do or not. Praying for lots of students and a successful talk, love Sue

hi sue, also doing a talk in morn 180 students at doncester college of performing arts, all the best, you will shine thorugh because you have all of us behind you and on certain person in particular watching down. let us know how you get on, and i shall too.
good luck, have posted on the be a lifesave facebook site about a few ideas i have for talks if you get a sec to look, and that goes to any volunteer schools speaker. let me know what you think?
xx hannah xx

Well I jumped and it wasn't half as bad as you think! Students all listened and asked questions afterwards, bring on the next school. How did you get on Hannah, you're a pro now so I expect it all went very well? love Sue

Hi Sue,
The talk was great, the 180 students were fun, had a joke with them when I was introduced, by saying hi i'm hannah and today i've come to take blood from each and every one of you, the shouted NOOOOOO!!! funny,had to be there i guess!! 25 signed up to be blood donors, 70 filled in the music quiz cards, some more tricky questions, but an all round great talk, 40 mins. Inspirational!!
Love to all
xx han

Hi All,

Hope you are all well.

You know I have often mentioned Little Freddie, well I have been telling his Dad all about the fine works of the AA and this blog and he said I could add the link so you can see (if you want) what they and Freddie went through.

http://freddiewills.blogspot.com/

Bye for now,

Em xx

Thanks for the link Emma. What a gorgeous little boy; my heart goes out to all of you. Stories like Freddie's strengthen our resolve to do what we can to erradicate this horrendous disease.

Good luck to everyone who has a school talk planned - I read with interest how you're all getting on! I'm still waiting for the call...

Love to all

Charlotte xxxx

What a wonderful little man Freddie was, have just donated 20 quid. xxx love to all
Hannah

Thanks Guys,

I will pass on Freddie's mum and dad your best wishes.

The donation box has probably closed as that was for some time back when Tim did an abseil down Bristol Children's Hospital for CLIC.

I am very honoured now to be God-Mother to their daughter Heidi.

Have a good weekend and chat soon xx

Hi, yes it had closed but you can still directly donate to the charity, CLIC which I did, and after seeing the blog, it was the least i could do. Does anybody know how I can post aa photo on here?
xx
love to all
hannah xx

I have done a brief talk description, on what I talk about when I go into schools and colleges. I'd like to post it on here to help anyone who's got a talk coming up, just don't know how?? Any IT genius's out there help !!!!! especially Al Kitching !! he he
xx Hannah

Hi all,
Have done a brief run down on what I talk about when I go into school's/ college's. Does anyone know how I can get it onto here so we can all share the idea's, comment, make changes, help others who are waiting to do their first talks? I need a computer genius, Al Kitching springs to mind, Please help me to help other fellow volunteers!!
Love Hannah xx

I have tried to post on teh lifesaver site, but unsure how?
XX Han, Happy birthday Kay xx

Well, it seems my wish has been granted!
- Got my first call in response to my schools letter - (which has now gone out to every state high school in Flintshire).
I've been asked to do FOUR talks, no less in one day - as part of the St David's School's year 10 "Health Day"!
The talks will be to each of the four tutor groups, forming part of their PSE lesson.

Now I am a tad disappointed that this is the 14-15 year old age group, not sixth form as Adrian wanted. I'm also a little apprehensive as St. David's, although broadly speaking a good school, is attended by a few "difficult" pupils!
(I don't want to sound disparaging - nor do I wish to generalise, but this school is local to me and we have lots of anti-social behaviour issues throughout the area; I hope the pupils within this lower age group have the maturity to show an interest!)

...HOWEVER, it's excellent experience and maybe - just maybe I'll leave someone with a lasting impression which spurs them on to join the donor registers when they're old enough. This is not until June 10th, so I have plenty of time to prepare.

In the meantime, I really hope to get more responses from schools. Cheshire is next on my hit list :-)

Love to all

Charlotte xxxx

Hi Folks! : ) !!

Things got really crazy and busy, but I am thinking of you all!

You probably saw this already, but Adrian's work lives on as seen on the BBC web site. I hope you are all doing well.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/8026402.stm

Thanks for the link Robert.

I hope everyone is well and enjoying the bank holiday.

Em xx

Kay, How lovely to see you on BBC Breakfast this morning spreading the word. Adrian would be so proud of you and all the Army who continue to work tirelessly in his memory. God Bless Adrian - you will never be forgotten. Much love to everyone around the world. Caroline

Hi all -

Such sun today!! -- but what a long winter it's been

Whod've thought - - the entire global economy would crash and we'd have the coldest winter for decades without Ads ! (woah)

Now - - the sun, and we've just had the whole Easter thing and you just have to believe in the afterlife.

MISS YOU ADS!!!

The sun feels all the more poignant this year

The strength of the sun to all AA!!! AAlways!!

x

goodnight for now,

LL (Laura)

PS Kay, - - cant wait!! I loved your last post - - a marvel : ) ! X!!!

Haven't posted on here for a while but I do keep popping in to see if anyone else has!
It's great to see Ads campaign moving forward successfully.

Kay, The BBC coverage on BBC Breakfast was fantastic, spot on and you were SUPERB. You always speak so eloquently and you were so calm and focused.

So many schools/colleges already covered and having spoken to Hannah, Kay, Katie....It seems the talks are being very well received.
Ad will be looking in on everyone, so proud and pleased with what he got us all to do. He certainly had a way with him....determined, strong, bossy....lol.

I'm ready to get rumbling now hubby has got the all clear from a very nasty bug (that we thought was something else!) and I can't wait!

As always, love, hugs and soothing thoughts to Kay, Keith, Carrie, Liam, Katie, ALL AA and absolutely everyone else who's been touched by this truly remarkable young man.
Christine M. XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX