Tuesday 2 July 2013

The Only "Goal" We're Aiming For Is A Healthy Young Girl

Hello there.

This is my first blog post since joining the cast of Les Miserables, and guess what; it's going to be about LES MISERABLES!!!! Who saw that coming, eh?? Well actually, to be more specific, this post is about the Les Mis -vs- Phantom charity football match that will take place on August 11th.

Now, everyone loves getting behind an in-vogue charity cause, just so they can say they bought the trendy bracelet or tie pin that Brangelina were sporting in Cannes last month, but the work that is done at Great Ormond St. Children's Hospital (GOSH) is one cause that everyone can relate to, and we at Les Miserables and Phantom of the Opera have been exposed to in a very personal sense.

I can honestly say that I have never felt as upset and saddened as the day when one of the driving forces behind the event, and our resident director, Chris Key, met us after warm-up to talk to us a bit more about the day and, more importantly, the cause we were getting behind. He spoke to us about how at last year's match, we had helped our head of wigs, Melanie Oakley-Dow and the Macmillan Fund, telling us how we surpassed our target and really honoured a charity, and specifically a woman who has had to deal with so much in her life. This year, however, at the request of Melanie herself, we were going to focus on helping GOSH to continue the life-changing and life-saving work they do for children on a daily basis.

I would like to say here and now, that none of this is meant as emotional blackmail or a ploy to make you part with any more money than you may or may not have already decided to donate, but I haven't been able to get Lizzie out of my mind since that day. I only tell you about her now, so that we can, in some way, appreciate the terrifyingly emotional work that GOSH have to do to help us or people we know deal with tragedy.



For those of you that don't know, Great Ormond Street Hospital is one of the few hospitals that specialises in working with sick and injured children. One particular child, Lizzie Bremer, is the daughter of a lovely couple, Alex and Miriam, who met each other while working at Les Miserables. Lizzie is 22 months old. Actually, I that that using months for a child's age can sometimes dilute the cold, hard facts. What I should have said was this:

Lizzie is not even two years old.

Please think about that.....; I have a two-year old nephew, Darragh, and it is such an exciting time for both him, his parents and the rest of our family. He's learning how to feed himself, how to play fun games with his brother and picks up new words every other day. It's such a magical time in his life.

Lizzie Bremer isn't doing any of that. Lizzie Bremer is fighting for her life. Lizzie Bremer is a two year-old girl who has been diagnosed with neuroblastoma; a rare and very aggressive form of cancer, and each and every day is, quite literally, a fight for survival. We have all been sick at some point in our lives and felt like it was a battle just to get out of bed and get on with our days, but Lizzie isn't even two yet. I know it sounds like I'm labouring that point, but it is heartbreaking to think of what she and her parents must be going through. I cannot even imagine the feeling of helplessness that a father or mother must feel, having to let their child battle something so terrifying on their own; It is just beyond our comprehension.

Recently, it seemed that Lizzie was starting to win her fight and there were genuine causes for optimism, but as can so often seem the case, during a pivotal period, she took a turn for the worse and has regressed quite dramatically. Even after finding out this news, Lizzie continues to battle with all her strength. This child, this little girl, who should have her whole life ahead of her, is staring death in the face and yet refuses to give in. She has spent the entirety of her young life fighting against a monster, and bless her soul, but it seems as though that monster may be too strong even for someone as brave as her. We can only hope and pray that she proves us all wrong.

Lizzie has no comprehension of what we are trying to do to help; after all, 22 sweaty men and women, kicking a ball around a football pitch and the hundreds of people who will pay to watch is hardly the type of help she needs right now. We know we will be playing with heavy hearts, and can only hope Lizzie is still with us when the day arrives. However, we don't want Lizzie to become another statistic in a training manual. We want Lizzie Bremer to live on, obviously in a very literal sense, but in spirit also.

What we do here will hopefully help both Lizzie, and many other children in the years to come. The money we raise will go towards the research and improved treatments of many different medical conditions that young children are forced to fight year in, year out. The sad truth of it all is that Lizzie is not an isolated case; Over 100 children are diagnosed with Neuroblastoma every year, and as I mentioned, Neuroblastoma is simply one form of infant cancer; there are thousands of children in desperate need of our help. The work that the wonderful men and women of GOSH do is something that they have no choice but to take home with them every night - they are on the front line, getting to know these poor children intimately as they try desperately to help, and they have to fight to keep a smile on their face and to maintain hope against unsurmountable odds. They are the best of us, and we want to help them to continue their work in whatever way we can.

So, HOW can you help? "Here comes the sales pitch", I hear you say. Well, to be honest, we don't want you to do very much at all. There IS an online donations site, which we would be thrilled to receive any and all donations, but primarily, all we want you to do is this:

Come and have a fun day out.

Please, PLEASE come down and support both teams as we put on a display of athleticism you could only compare to a David Attenborough documentary on Hippo's. It promises to be a fun day out, with entertainment for the whole family, both young and old.

The match takes place, as I mentioned, on Sunday, August 11th, at the home of Bromley Football Club, who have kindly given us their ground for the day. All the details can be found at www.lesmisvphantom.co.uk, including directions on how to get to the pitch, how to buy your tickets and how to make an online donation, as well as more information on the charity itself and news on some of the celebrity players that will also be making an appearance.


So. There it is. There, is the SLIGHTEST insight into what this match is about. It means the world to us, and we hope you can help us to honour a brave little girl. I know I speak for both teams when I say a heartfelt thank you to you, even if all you did was read this post.

I'll even do some of the work for you; Here is a list of the web addresses you might need to check out:

Online donations: www.justgiving.com/lesmisvphantompart2

N.B.: Along with any donation you might make, please be sure to mention which specific player, if any, you are supporting as this will dictate who ends up taking those all-important penalties, free-kicks and corners - Honestly, if you don't make the decision for us, we'll end up squabbling amongst ourselves and NOBODY wants to see a group of grown men whingeing over kicking a ball at a net, so please pop a personalised message on their to support whoever you want......May I take this time to shamelessly plug MYSELF, as I'm awfully good at those things?? :)

The Match Website: www.lesmisvphantom.co.uk

The ALL-IMPORTANT match tickets: lesmisvphantom.co.uk/Tickets.html


On behalf of Les Miserables, Phantom of the Opera, Great Ormond Street Childrens Hospital and most importantly, the Bremer family, I just want to say thanks again for taking the time to read this and for any and all donations you make. Every penny really does help. As for the day itself, get your tickets and please come along and say hello - We really hope to meet you all and say thank you in person on the day.



That's it. Thanks for reading.

Love,
Niall.






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