A sour face for a sweet cause
Ross Fox has a crack at `Annabelle’s Lemon Face Challenge’.
There are a lot of “online challenges” on the inter webs.
Some are helpful, and some are just plain silly or dangerous.
Some ask people to show pictures of videos or themselves doing something ridiculous. Like planking or drinking out of a shoe.
But some challenges seek to do some good. To draw attention to, and raise money for an important cause.
So when Catholic Education Director Ross Fox sucked on a lemon recently it wasn’t just to pull a funny face (although he did that very well). It was to help out a little girl with Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Glioma (DIPG).
In December 2016, just a few days after Christmas, Annabelle Potts was diagnosed with DIPG, a highly aggressive and difficult to treat brain tumour found at the base of the brain.
The prognosis wasn’t good.
Six to nine months, the doctors said.
Annabelle Potts
Unwilling to accept that outcome, Annabelle’s parents Kathie and Adam Potts sought out and discovered an available treatment in Mexico. The treatment had recorded positive results with the disease previously.
But with the good news, the bad. The six-weekly treatments, including travel and accommodation, came at a cost of $30,000 per trip.
This has put enormous strain on the family financially and a number of fundraisers were set up as a result (see links below).
The treatments, coupled with her medical treatments in Australia, had essentially stalled the progress of the disease and already she has surpassed the life expectancy suggested by her doctors.
But just recently, there has been a small amount of growth in the tumour and friends and family have been anxious to assist in any way possible.
One of those ways is `Annabelle’s Lemon Face Challenge.’
How to help
Supporters of Annabelle are invited to film themselves sucking a lemon, at the same time nominating others who they would like to see do the same.
Of course that alone doesn’t raise money. Those taking part are encouraged to put their hands in their pockets as well, while newly nominated challengers will become aware of Annabelle’s plight.
So if the story pulls at your heart strings, don’t just flick to the next story. Check out the fundraising links below and assist if you can.
Ross Fox called on the schools in the Archdiocese to take on the challenge.
“I nominate our 56 Catholic schools and eight Catholic Early Learning Centres in the Archdiocese of Canberra and Goulburn Catholic Education to take up the challenge.
“Let’s raise awareness for DIPG and help find a cure.”