By Pamela McGowan

Last updated at 08:47, Thursday, 24 December 2009

This year big-hearted Cumbrians have raised more than £10,000 to help buy prosthetic limbs for six-year-old meningitis victim Olivia Story.

Olivia Story

The brave Carlisle youngster was given little chance of survival when she was struck down by the killer bug in the summer of 2006.

Her heart stopped and her kidneys failed, but she clung on to life and went on to make a miraculous recovery.

However, her survival cost her dearly. She lost both legs and one arm and now relies on artificial limbs to get around.

Although she has adapted well to this new way of life, her parents, Mike Story and Kim Brown, now face a never-ending fundraising campaign if she is to have the realistic prosthetics she deserves.

As she gets older and more self-conscious, they will need tens of thousands of pounds a year for her limbs, which will need to be regularly replaced.

Many Cumbrians have rallied around to help with their campaign Among them was Jackie Rutherford, who has an extra special reason to help Olivia, after losing her own daughter, 17-month-old Bobbi-Nicole, to meningitis in October 1999.

This year she wanted to do something positive to mark the 10th anniversary of her death and raise awareness of the illness at the same time.

Jackie and her sister Claire Allen decided to sign up for the Great Cumbrian Run, and recruited a huge following of friends to join them.

Supported by her employer, Cavaghan & Gray, Jackie got together a team of 11, while Claire got a further six from the new Carlisle Tri Club, who also made their T-shirts. An additional team of 20 adults and children took part in the family fun run, raising more than £3,000.

“The run was almost 10 years to the day since my daughter’s death so it just seemed fitting. “It’s more special because the money has gone to Olivia. It’s nice to see it actually going to someone, rather than into a big organisation,” she said.

Jackie and her team weren’t the only group to put on their running shoes. After hearing about Olivia through her Facebook group, a further nine people also signed up to take part in the Cumbrian Run – raising £2,100.

Then, to mark her 50th birthday, Gillian Threlfall flew across the Atlantic to take part in the New York Marathon.

She completed it in four hours, 50 minutes and said it was an amazing experience to run through parts of the city you wouldn’t usually see. Gillian alone raised more than £1,000 to add to Olivia’s fund, which together with other fundraising efforts – including a Coast to Coast cycle and summer charity night – took the 2010 total to £10,193. Kim said she has been amazed at the generosity of local people, many of whom were complete strangers until just a few months ago.

“It’s been brilliant, we are so grateful. In the three years since we started we’ve had about £40,000 come in, which is amazing. The trouble is that may only last for two pairs of legs so we can’t stop there.”

To find out more about the Olivia Story Trust and how you can support her visit www.oliviastory.co.uk or join her Facebook group.

First published at 07:10, Thursday, 24 December 2009
Published by http://www.cumberlandnews.co.uk