For over 60 years UK-wide charity, Action Medical Research has helped save a change lives through medical research. Action Medical Research has played a significant role in many medical breakthroughs such a the development of the first polio vaccine, developing cooling therapy for newborns, discovering the importance of taking folic acid in pregnancy to prevent spina bifida, helping to protect children from meningitis since 1992, to name just a few of their amazing highlights.
The much loved Paddington bear is the official fundraising mascot of the children’s charity and they are calling on all Paddington fans to wish him a Happy Birthday on Tuesday 25 June 2013.
Just like Action Medical Research's celebrity ambassadors – including Davina McCall, Phil Spencer, Joanna Rowsell, Dermot Murnaghan and Tony Hadley – the charity is asking for birthday wishes to be tweeted, posted on Facebook or pinned on Pinterest. Fans, supporters and celebrities will be taking pictures of themselves with their Paddington Bears, or making short videos of themselves and others singing happy birthday! - How cool is that?
Watch this video of beautiful 3 year-old Kylie Boynton singing happy birthday.
Kylie was born one month early, thankfully needing no neonatal care. But not long after her birth, her parents noticed that she produced a lot of phlegm and often had trouble breathing.
When Kylie was just eight weeks’ old, her breathing became very laboured and she had a high temperature. Her symptoms worsened and she was rushed to A&E. An X-ray revealed she had pneumonia and she spent a week in hospital in isolation.
In fact, for the first 18 months of her life, Kylie was in and out of A&E with high temperatures and breathing problems. She also had problems with her hearing and pain due to an infection of the middle ear.
At long last over two years after her birth, in October 2012, her parents Nhu and Kevin were finally given a diagnosis. Kylie has primary ciliary dyskinesia (PCD), a debilitating, lifelong, inherited illness which causes recurrent ear and chest infections, often leading to permanent lung damage.
Kylie was three in January and is now at nursery. She loves Peppa Pig, loves to sing and is really bright and sociable. She is also independent and very caring.
“It’s not been an easy ride but it’s a relief now that we know what Kylie has and she is being treated appropriately. It’s great to see such an improvement in our daughter.” Says her mum Nhu “Her ear infection has now improved and she has normal hearing. She is learning and speaking well and enjoying life.”
“I hope that the research funded by the children’s charity Action Medical Research will help earlier diagnosis of other children with PCD. This will allow them to get treated sooner, so that their health can improve and the progression of their condition can be slowed.”
Little One was too shy to be on video so I've made Paddington this adorable Birthday message from Baby Girl; one of Paddington's youngest fans?
I will be tweeting, facebooking, and pinning birthday wishes to the lovable bear himself on 25th June, and I hope you will join me - Action Medical Research is such a wonderful charity, and I'd like to see awareness being raised for both the charity and the work that they do - I wonder if we can get #PaddingtonBear trending?
Paddington Bear has been loved by children for decades and was an obvious candidate to be the charity's mascot. My Mum still has a bear from her childhood and i have fond memories of hearing the stories about how they became friends. Paddington's creator Michael Bond first met the charity’s founder, Duncan Guthrie, in 1976. Since then, Paddington’s friendly face has helped attract thousands of supporters who together have raised millions of pounds to fund vital research to help sick babies and children.
Action Medical Research want to make a difference in:
- tackling premature birth and treating sick and vulnerable babies
- helping children affected by disability, disabling conditions and infections
- targeting rare diseases that together severely affect many forgotten children.
"Just one breakthrough, however small, can mean the world."
"Medical research can save and change children’s lives. Yet surprisingly, medical research into conditions that devastate children’s lives is poorly funded. The charity is currently funding research into conditions including Down syndrome, premature birth, epilepsy, meningitis, diabetes and rare diseases."
Children up and down the country can join in too. Thousands of schools and nurseries choose a day when the children bring their teddy bear. Every child brings in two pounds with their bear, as a simple and fun way to support Action Medical Research. Once registered, a FREE fundraising pack including stickers and a poster and a guide to activities like the always popular teddy bears’ picnic is provided. And some of the activity sheets can be used as a bear related lesson plan!
HAPPY BIRTHDAY PADDINGTON!!!
Follow Action Medical Research on Twitter at @actionmedres @amr_events and use #paddingtonbear in your birthday tweets!
Like their Facebook page at facebook.com/actionevents
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