By Emily Parsons

Last updated at 13:08, Tuesday, 28 August 2012

A courageous teenager travelled straight from the hospice to a shopping centre to take part in a fundraising drive.

Jodie Vasquez, centre, her mum Maxine Fairish, left and friend Bethany Rosary

Jodie Vasquez is 18 and has been battling a rare, life-threatening illness for three years.

She has had her large bowel removed, had bladder failure and suffers chronic pain and fatigue. Her illness means she cannot eat and is fed through a tube.

Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (EDS) is highly complex and debilitating and affects the collagen in the body, causing chronic pain, joint dislocation and internal organ complications.

Despite her difficulties Jodie, from Currock, Carlisle, has campaigned tirelessly to raise both awareness of EDS and funds for the charities that have supported her and her family.

The teenager was in The Lanes shopping centre at the weekend with close family friend Bethany Rosary, mum Maxine Farish and members of the Royal British Legion.

Together they were attempting to collect enough coins to stretch in a line equivalent to one mile, and the money will then be donated to the Sick Children’s Trust. The trust provides home-from-home accommodation to allow families to stay close to the hospitals where their children are being treated.

Mrs Farish explained: “The trust has helped us so much with Jodie. They housed me when Jodie was at the Royal Victoria Infirmary, in Newcastle, and at The Royal London Hospital.

“We want to do this knowing that if other families are ever in the position we are in, then we are helping them.”

Jodie, who was in a hospice on Friday night receiving respite care, continued: “We held a cake sale in our back garden last month and raised £400, so I hope it does as well as that or better.

“It is really important to get awareness of the Sick Children’s Trust out there, and to help them.”

First published at 11:26, Tuesday, 28 August 2012
Published by http://www.newsandstar.co.uk