The memory of Rhys Dylan Williams — who won the hearts of the people of Bolton — inspired two of his friends to complete a half marathon to raise money for the hospice that cared for hinm.
Rhys was just 18-years-old when he died.
Cameron Aspen, 19, and Joe Dean, 17, ran 13.1 miles in the “Run Heaton” half marathon in Heaton Park, Manchester recently.
The pair raised £547 for Derian House Children’s Hospice in Chorley, where their friend Rhys received end-of-life care before he returned home to spend one last day with his family.
He died just before Christmas, on 22 December, 2023.
“Rhys was one of the most kind-hearted, caring people I ever met,” said Cameron, who is a floor layer.
“Me, my twin brother Corie, and Joe grew up knowing this incredibly brave boy. Despite all his struggles with his condition, and going to appointments all the time, he did it all with a smile on his face. He made everyone smile and laugh no matter what.”
Rhys, who lived in Bolton, was born with epidermolysis bullosa (EB), a condition which causes the skin to blister.
“I visited Rhys as much as I possibly could while he was at Derian House,” said Cameron.
“I even stayed over to be there with him. And even though I was just a guest of Rhys’s, I was treated amazingly while we were there. It was wonderful. They made us feel at home. Derian House means so much to me because of that. Which is why we decided to do something to raise money for the hospice, so that they can continue helping others like Rhys.”
Cameron came in 24th place in the Run Heaton half marathon – finishing with a time of one hour and 40 minutes.
“The run was extremely hard at points both of us felt like giving up but we knew Rhys would have wanted us keep going,” said Cameron.
“I actually ended up beating my half marathon record. Once I had finished, Joe had one lap left and he was struggling so I went round and did another lap to keep him going. And he did.
“As we reached the finish line our families, and Rhys’s family, all came down to cheer us on. My twin brother Corie was there, and my girlfriend Natalie too. That was my favourite moment, having everyone there at the end. I feel it was all a million percent worth it – doing it for such a wonderful charity and in memory of such a brave, special boy.”
Donations are still open for Cameron and Joe’s fundraiser in memory of Rhys: https://www.justgiving.com/page/cameronaspen
Kerry Salmon, Community Fundraiser at Derian House Children’s Hospice, said: “Cameron and Joe have hearts of gold, and I’m sure that Rhys would be incredibly proud of what they have achieved in his memory.
“Care is free to families at Derian House, but it will cost £6million to run the hospice this year. We rely on our kind-hearted supporters to raise 70p in every £1 as we only receive a small amount of funding from the government.”
Derian House Children’s Hospice, based in Chorley, Lancashire, cares for more than 400 babies, children, young people and their families from across the North West, helping them to make the most of every moment. Find out more: www.derianhouse.co.uk
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