Tweeters of Worcestershire and the Three Counties, this one is for you!
The #ToniasJourney #MeetWhoYouTweet social evening is for local tweeters from #WorcestershireHour #MalvernHillsHour #HerefordHour and other Three Counties ‘Twitter Hours’ to meet those you regularly tweet, in person, over a drink and a bite to eat.
This is both a networking and a charity event as we're fundraising to support a young Worcestershire woman – 21-year old Antonia Payne-Cheney, ‘Tonia’ from Eckington, near Pershore.
Through local media and social media you have probably heard Tonia’s story: she has an acute form of Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome, a rare connective tissue disorder, along with complex secondary complaints, and these have caused her brain stem to be compressed and to have further gastro-intestinal failure.
Diagnosed at the age of just 14 and now fed through a tube and bedridden, Tonia’s plight was the focus earlier this year of the programme ‘DIY SOS’ which saw the BBC team transform Tonia’s home and enable her to leave hospital after a three and a half years in a hospital bed.
Following an intense media and social media fundraising campaign, Tonia’s mother, Victoria Cheney, and a small support group, #TeamTonia, sourced sufficient funds and a voluntary paramedic team to get her to Barcelona for treatment, surgery and rehabilitation. We're through phase one (which was gruelling in itself), but now need to raise funds for Tonia's next stage of ‘Tethered Cord’ lower back surgery – to alleviate further debilitating symptoms – along with Tonia’s stay in ICU, other tests and rehabilitation.
In short – the need for funds is CRITICAL and the pressure on raising the funds is NOW. Without OUR help the next stage surgery will not proceed and the recent treatment will not fully suffice in alleviating Tonia’s symptoms.
Our event starts at 6pm with a welcome drink. Food will be served throughout the evening. You are welcome to drop in as and when you can, but the longer you are able to stay, the more tweeters you will get to meet and connect with.
Various fundraising activities will be happening on the evening including a raffle.
In support of Tonia and the condition ‘Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome’ we encourage you to wear anything stripey! The icon of EDS is a zebra – so ‘Show Us Your Stripes’ to help raise awareness of this debilitating condition.
Tickets are available now and cost £15. Please
buy yours now on Eventbrite.
If you can’t make this event , but still want to support Tonia’s Journey to recovery, then donating the price of a ticket to
her JustGiving page would be fabulous!
