Help stage a run for Chester’s young Rose Marshall to make her wish come true

Mar 6 2009 by David Holmes, Chester Chronicle

Help stage a run for Chester’s young Rose Marshall to make her wish come true

READERS are urged to make a wish come true for a young girl with a life-threatening condition.

Rose Marshall, nine, from Hoole, was born with a chronic lung disease and has special educational needs because she suffers from cerebral palsy.

But she loves water and music and her family hope to give her a special experience through Round Table Children’s Wish, a charity granting wishes for children with life-threatening illnesses.

The charity is asking people to arrange £100 minimum sponsorship and take part in the Great Manchester Run to help make dreams come true for Rose and other poorly children.

Her mother Ursula, who lives in Linden Grove, said: “No-one knows what the prognosis is for Rose, we just don’t know how badly something like a chest infection would affect her. We hope she’ll live to adulthood. She is a lovely girl and very positive, having a wish come true would mean the world to her.”

She added: “Rose hasn’t chosen her wish yet but we hope that together with her older sister Lydia we can take her out for a special day – possibly including a musical.”

Rose, who attends Dorin Park School in Upton, was born two months premature with a rare and chronic lung disease called fibrosing alveolitis and needed oxygen support for five years.

The nine-year-old has the mental age of a two-year-old and only recently learnt to walk and talk. She is often admitted to hospital for her complex condition.

Bournemouth-based Round Table Children’s Wish grants wishes for children aged three to 17 with life-threatening illnesses. Recent wishes include meeting Katherine Jenkins, a surprise visit from a much-missed friend flown in from Australia and one child has just visited Sweden to see the Northern Lights.

The charity is currently arranging wishes for around 10 poorly children living in the region. The Bupa Great Manchester Run takes place on May 17. To take part for Round Table Children’s Wish or to make a donation, call 01202 514515 or visit www.rtcw.org.

Since it was launched in 1990, the charity has granted more than 1,160 wishes to children throughout the UK.

They include trips to Disneyland Paris, swimming with dolphins, being a zoo-keeper for a day, shopping sprees and visits to meet sporting heroes.