Dedicated Charlotte recovers from coronavirus and continues to raise funds for Marie Curie

Speech and language therapist Charlotte Heasley has recently recovered from coronavirus and is already up on her feet and fundraising for a third time for end of life charity Marie Curie. 

Charlotte is a frontline NHS worker on the COVID-19 wards at the Royal Oldham hospital and at Stepping Hill, where she assesses patients with swallowing difficulties in order to get them eating and drinking again safely when they are on the road to recovery.    

She contracted coronavirus at the beginning of April  and, after self-isolating and recovering from the virus at home, she decided to raise money again for Marie Curie by doing the 2.6 Challenge with her 11-year-old son Dan.

Charlotte said “Marie Curie is a charity very dear to my heart.

"My close and beautiful friend Helen Brannan was diagnosed with cancer in 2018 and tragically passed away in October that year, leaving behind her husband and young son.

"Helen, along with her family and friends were supported in her last days by the Marie Curie hospice in Woolton, Liverpool and this is the third time I have raised money for them.  

"I ran the Manchester Marathon in 2019, encouraged to do so after Helen and I had supported each other to run two half marathons together before her diagnosis.

"I was thrilled to raise £1,571 and I also signed up to collect money for Marie Curie’s Great Daffodil Appeal this March with my son Dan, during which we raised £127 before all of Marie Curie’s outdoor collections were cancelled because of the coronavirus.

“Determined to carry on, Dan and I jumped at the chance to do the 2.6 Challenge in aid of Marie Curie at the end of April.  

"We decided to run 2.6 miles together, setting off from home and running around our local area.

"It was the first run I had been on since being ill with coronavirus so I found it tough going.

"Dan decided to join me as he is missing all his usual sport activities and he loves supporting me to fundraise in Helen’s memory."

"I set up another JustGiving page and am thrilled to have added another £190 to my fundraising,” added Charlotte.

Lynn Partridge, Marie Curie’s local community fundraiser, said “Charlotte has my utter respect and admiration - working on the frontline, contracting Coronavirus and in her recovery raising money again to help Marie Curie - what a hero. And Dan is a star too!

“Our Marie Curie Nurses, doctors and hospice staff are also on the frontline, caring for dying people and their loved ones, both with and without coronavirus.  

"Marie Curie needs to raise £2.5 million every week to continue to run our essential frontline services, so please support us by donating online at: www.marie.curie.org.uk/emergency” or text NURSE to 70633."

---

Do you have a story for us? Want to tell us about something going on in and around Oldham? Let us know by emailing news@oldham-chronicle.co.uk , calling our Oldham-based newsroom on 0161 633 2121 , tweeting us @oldhamchronicle or messaging us through our Facebook page. All contact will be treated in confidence.