Testicular cancer teen meets Stephen Fry
News release and photo for immediate use
Tuesday 3 July 2012
Last year, at just 14 years old, Ted Mackey was diagnosed with Testicular Cancer. On 11 June 2012 Ted had his ultimate wish granted – to meet Stephen Fry – thanks to Make-A-Wish Foundation® UK, the charity that grants magical wishes to children and young people fighting life-threatening conditions.
Now 15, Ted, who is from County Armagh, has always loved Stephen Fry. During chemotherapy treatment, when he was feeling very low, it was Stephen’s autobiography, QI and Blackadder that helped get him through – they never failed to make him laugh and provided him with a focus away from his illness and treatment.
On the day of his wish Ted arrived at the QI studio with his Mum, Dawn, Dad, Ian, and younger brother, Patrick, to watch the recording of QI before being escorted to the green room where he got to meet his idol. Dawn said he was “in awe” when he met Stephen. Ted also met QI panellist Alan Davies and founder John Lloyd.
Ted was diagnosed in August last year after feeling uncomfortable on a flight home from a family holiday. A few days later he told Dawn he had found a lump “down there” – Dawn asked to see and Ted replied “no chance”! After visiting the doctor he was given an emergency hospital appointment and just two days later was having an Orchiectomy to remove his testicle. Ted now has three-monthly checks, CT scans and chest X-rays.
Dawn explains how Ted’s wish has given him his spark back and given the family some positive memories and stories to share. She said: “When Ted found out his wish was being granted it really helped to give him a positive focus. Our hearts burst seeing the life and spark come back on his wish – it was a good thing to come out of all the badness, a really amazing and positive experience.”
Stephen Fry said: “It was an absolute pleasure to meet Ted and an experience I’m deeply humbled by. He’s a very bright young man and a true inspiration.”
There are currently 20,000 children and young people in the UK fighting a life-threatening condition and this year alone 1,400 children will turn to Make-A-Wish to have their wish granted. The charity needs to raise £6.8 million in 2012 and receives no government funding or lottery grants – so every donation really does count.
To make a donation to Make-A-Wish please visit www.make-a-wish.org.uk or telephone 01276 40 50 60.
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For more information about this news release please contact:
Hayley Epps: T: 01276 405093 M: 07557563214 E: hayley.epps@makeawish.org.uk
Notes to editors:
1. More photos available if required and the family are available for interview.
2. Please note that Make-A-Wish does not use phrases such as ‘terminally ill’ in order to respect the sensitive nature of life-threatening conditions and what they mean to children and young people and their families. We would ask that this approach is followed and that the term ‘life-threatening conditions’ is used in material for publication.
3. Make-A-Wish should be referred to as Make-A-Wish Foundation® UK in the first instance. Thereafter ‘Make-A-Wish’ or ‘Make-A-Wish Foundation’ is suitable. We would ask that you try to keep ‘Make-A-Wish’ on the same line.
4. Make-A-Wish grants magical wishes to children and young people fighting life-threatening conditions. The charity was founded in the UK in 1986. Registered charity number: 295672/SC037479 www.make-a-wish.org.uk.
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