You are visitor number

11 December 2012

December AGAIN

I'm not quite too sure how I've made it here, but here I am and it's definitely December. Life just gets busier and busier. I'm now down at the Royal Marsden every week and every little bit of it is wonderful because they are just brilliant (well, it's as wonderful as hospitals can be if you get what I mean). The only thing that is getting us down is all the driving and on Friday, it took us 7 1/2 hours to get home which makes me feel so uncomfortable sitting still for that long. But mum said she doesn't mind as long as she's got some caffeine in the car, choccy and a good CD! She was singing all the way home which would be fine if she could sing, but she can't!

Last week, let's just say that something happened on my journey down to Surrey and lots of people bothered to help us out. I don't know everyones name so I'll just say thank you to the lovely teacher from Keswick School, the staff at the M6 toll services, the ambulance men and Mr Peet and everyone at Birmingham Children's Hospital. And I'm fine now!

My #OneLifeLiveIt hashtag reached over 9 million people on Twitter which was amazing and i must say thank you to Glen for that. I hope that Olli was watching. Every time I think of him, I remember the story teller - it wasn't meant to be funny, but it was one of our funniest days in hospital and his mum will know exactly what I mean. Quite a few tweeted to say they were joining up to the register after my tweetathon and a few emailed my website for more information about it, so that was good. I still think it would be great if every 16th and 18th and 21st card had a message about bone marrow and organ donation on it. It's such a perfect way to get the message across!

Last week, I got to order the holiday home for our charity. It's called a Willerby Winchester and it's really nice and the best news is that it will be here before the end of January. So we have time to think about what we need to put in it and then it will be ready for the first family in March. It's incredible that in less than a year, we've set up a charity and fundraised enough to buy one caravan and get part way towards another one. It's really important to be able to buy the caravan because although our accommodation providers are really good, they don't really have any availability in the holidays and that's when we have lots of people wanting to come away. So now we can offer a cosy cottage in the winter, a bit of hotel luxury in the autumn and a holiday caravan in the summer!

I can't believe that it's a year since my sweet 16 when my friend Tracy from New York sent me to the Lakeside for a night - I never thought that I'd get to be here for my 17th, it's just amazing that I am. It's my birthday this coming Saturday and then next week, we're going to Center Parcs for a break. When we booked it, we didn't really know if I'd be here but we've gone there for years at this time, so we didn't want to change.  But because it's us, nothing is simple and in the middle of it, I've got to go down to Surrey LOL. We're trying to work out if it's possible to do it from Penrith on the train with a wheelchair ... without anything major going wrong. Probably not! Otherwise I'll only get a day at Center Parcs before I have to go to hospital. If I do only get a day there, mum said she'll look for a last minute one in January and I guess it's more important to stay alive right now!

Right, I've got to go because I'm leaving for Surrey right now. Feeling okay today but still quite sick so I'm hoping that mum doesn't sing and I can get some sleep in the car LOL.

Love Alice x



33 comments:

  1. Keep on truckin' ALICE!! Merry Christmas, love... So fun to know I've been following you this long :) Enjoy Center Parc!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Happy Birthday! Hope you enjoy Centre Parcs!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Dear Alice, your courage and positive spirit shines as strongly as ever - thinking of you and hoping all will go well - Happy Christmas in December!

    ReplyDelete
  4. http://www.traceyjacksononline.com/2011/12/alices-escapes-and-alices-birthday/
    Yes, U R Here , & happy,that is like honey to a bear,ha
    hope mom likes The album I sent ?? Interacting with U has been amazing,hope U feel the same,, I pray U always have peace & love in ur life every day,& want to Thank you from the bottom of my heart for sharing ur incredible journey ,, although 4 U my heart has no bottom.
    stay strong kid & B happy,, please
    Naughty me

    ReplyDelete
  5. Happy Birthday,young Ms Pyne, May the angels always watch U

    ReplyDelete
  6. Yay, birthday coming! Hope you can have a great time, off the hospital as long as possible ;)

    Which songs does your mum sing? heheheh

    Love from Brazil,
    Sheila.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Well done Alice!
    So glad you are still enjoying life every day, even when it's getting rough. Maybe headphones for you for the car ride so mummy can sing...? :)
    Happy Birthday in advance. x

    ReplyDelete
  8. Alice, I'm so keeping my fingers crossed for more than a day at Center Parcs xox

    ReplyDelete
  9. Your Blog is an amazing and inspirational read! Stay Strong :) Michael x

    ReplyDelete
  10. Hi Alice,

    I've been reading your blog since it started. I want to say that you are an amazing girl and that it's amazing how down to earth you are.

    Happy Birthday for your 17th birthday celebrating life one day at a time.

    ReplyDelete
  11. Hang in there, Sweetie. A fan from Oregon has got you and your mom in her prayers. So proud of you and all you've accomplished in such a short time. Yours is truly a life well-lived. Hope you have a lovely birthday. :)

    {{{Hugs!}}} Kat

    ReplyDelete
  12. Bless you Alice, you are a lovely person. xxx

    ReplyDelete
  13. Hiya, Alice, and welcome to December! I've been thinking of you every day, and wondering how you were getting on, on the trial. Sorry you're feeling so sick, just be grateful that I'm not your Mum- my singing is so awful and out of tune, that when we had our lovely dog Sally, even when she went deaf, she would leave the room in a huff, if I started to "sing"! Hope you are well enough to enjoy your Birthday, and get away to Centre Parcs. Good luck with all the travel planning. Wishing you a super duper SEVENTEENTH Birthday...YIPPEE! Very best wishes, Wendy Ely

    ReplyDelete
  14. Happy Birthday for Saturday! There ought to be an Olympic event for ladies beating the odds and reaching their seventeenth. You'd be on the rostrum for sure and could then go on to be Sports Personality of the Year. (I think I'm getting carried away.) Anyway, have fun!

    ReplyDelete
  15. Hi Alice,

    Praying you will feel better soon and a very HAPPY BIRTHDAY to you!

    Hugs and love,
    Aly in SC, USA

    ReplyDelete
  16. Hi Alice
    Congratulations on your birthday, I am Brazilian and I signed up for for donor marrow ossea - because you-
    Big hug
    Alessandra Haak

    ReplyDelete
  17. Hang in there Alice, I hope you keep enjoying each day as best you can!

    ReplyDelete
  18. Hi Alice
    Sorry to hear of your troubles but it is heartwarming to know that you had all those people to help. It's wonderful you're getting such good care even if there's so much driving involved. Happy Happy Birthday on Saturday and if you're lucky, you're mother will sing the birthday song for you! Love ME from NB, Canada

    ReplyDelete
  19. happy birthday alice! (we're birthday buddies! i'll be celebrating right along with you on saturday!) and all the best to you. enjoy december :)

    ReplyDelete
  20. Alice
    You are such a wonderful girl, so many people admiring you all over the world. You are an example of strength and bravery. My husband is under going on chemotherapy for acute lymphoblastic leukemia, and I can imagine what are you going thru.
    Recently we have heard on the news about a new treatment for leukemia and lymphoma, is still a experimenting phase, but I think is worth to try:
    http://www.chop.edu/service/oncology/patient-stories-cancer/leukemia-story-emily.html

    I think you could try to contact the University of Philadelphia..their phone numbers are on the right hand side...

    Will be praying for you...many hugs precious!

    ReplyDelete
  21. Dear Alice, I thought I'd sent a message a few days ago, but in case it got lost in cyberspace..CONGRATULATIONS and a very Happy 17th Birthday to you. Take etra special care of your extra special self, Wendy Ely x

    ReplyDelete
  22. Hi Alice, I was thinking of you today so I thought I would check your blog. It's fantastic that you are here with us and looking to celebrate you 17th birthday! It shows what positive thinking and determination can do. Sadly a girl in our town passed away from Cancer a couple of weeks ago. She was 13 and had just been given four weeks to live. Her school friends reached out to Ed Sheeran on Twitter and had arranged for him to video call her but she died within a couple of days. It was so sad. It just shows how amazing children can be, and how powerful Twitter is.
    Alice I wish you a wonderful Birthday and all the love in the world.

    ReplyDelete
  23. HAPPY 17 th BIRTHDAY, dear Alice! I have a gut feeling I'll be saying that again next year. You are the greatest. ♥

    ReplyDelete
  24. Have a wonderful 17th Alice! I hope you get to enjoy a second 2012 Xmas too :-D Keep on being inspirational and just being you. xxxx

    ReplyDelete
  25. Hope you had a wonderful Birthday Alice! Hope you have some time to quickly read my blog post inspired by you! www.thevalentinesblog.blogspot.co.uk. Stay strong and keep blogging xxx

    ReplyDelete
  26. Hey! Just wanted to say I find your blog quite inspiring! x

    ReplyDelete
  27. Oh, Alice, Alice, Alice....I just got chills reading your post. Really. It has been a year. How amazing is that?
    And you are still around and busy and hey wait, didn't I tell you something like this would happen? I seem to remember that. I just kind of knew. And it makes me so happy.
    I wish you a wonderful 17th. I'm going off to Hong Kong, so I will find you something lovely there and mail it off when I get back. And then this year I'm coming to the UK and we must meet up IRL.
    I'm so proud of you. You are truly a beacon of light and inspiration to us all.
    Sending tons of love on this big bday.
    Love, Tracey

    ReplyDelete
  28. Happy Christmas in advance Alicel.

    December is the month with the shortest daylight hours of the year in the Northern Hemisphere and the longest daylight hours of the year in the Southern Hemisphere.
    December in the Northern Hemisphere is the seasonal equivalent to June in the Southern Hemisphere and vice versa.

    ReplyDelete
  29. may this Christmas day brings happiness and prosperity for you. nice post written very nicely

    ReplyDelete
  30. Hmm - last year I had to tell you to change the age on the top of the page to 16, now I get to tell you to change it to 17 - wonderful!
    I hope you had a great birthday Alice and are looking forward to your second Christmas this year. You'll have to get a photo taken of you in your sunglasses in December (very celebrity!)- if you can bear the light or flash long enough to have one taken.
    Wishing you all the very best with the treatment and looking forward to continuing reading your blog in 2013.

    ReplyDelete
  31. Happy 17th Birthday to you Alice. Hope you have a great break at Center Parcs. You are such an inspiration of how to live fully in every moment.

    ReplyDelete
  32. Merry Christmas from france Alice. I hope to keep reading your posts and see you great!

    ReplyDelete