A Quick Hello

First of all thanks to my dad for finishing the blog that I had started before I went back into hospital.

I am indeed back in for a little while but cannot really complain as I enjoyed a lovely 2.5 months out of the place :) My best record in well over a year. Unfortunately I had to come back in as after just a week off IV antibiotics my lungs decided they didn’t want to play that game anymore and enjoyed the way the IVs made them feel. I was quite hopeful when I came off them but unfortunately my chest declined rapidly without them which is a bit disappointing but I guess it just means I’m going to have to stay on IV antibiotics pretty much until I get my transplant. Also in that week that I was unwell I lost a load of weight so I have been working on that and am as determined as ever to reach that 40kg.

I do have to say that the time I enjoyed out of hospital was fantastic and I had the BEST Christmas ever with my family even managing (as dad has said) to get to Center Parcs which right up until we were due to go was looking doubtful but I managed it and had a fabulous time.

The school project is just going from strength to strength with the total at around £62,000 seriously a MASSIVE thank you to each and everyone of you out there when I was starting this project I could have never imagined it would come together like this. God truly works miracles. We recently had a meeting with Fields of Life with the view to start building pretty soon. I am seriously so excited and just have a mental picture of all these little children walking into a proper building of a school for the first time ever and its thanks to the generosity of you guys.

Ok its probably time I headed to bed but as I leave you tonight I ask that you please remember the people of Haiti. These people had nothing to start with and there country has just been turned upside down by such disaster. Just please pray that they will continue to find more survivors. Thank you and goodnight

Love

Charlene

£20,000...I Think So!!!

First of all the big news is we are now over the £20,000 which is actually AMAZING!!!!!! Also with fundraising activities really starting to take off I'm quite sure it not going to stay around that mark for long :) Thank you so much to everyone who has contributed so far.

Again I will mention that Santa letters and wordsearches are still available so if you would be interested in either just give me a wee e-mail at charlene@charlenesproject.org .

The sponsorship forms for the Dolly Walk are ready and are looking fabulous, so again if you are interested in taking part either in the Lurgan/Dollingstown area one or holding your own wherever in the world you maybe again e-mail me and I will get the sponsor forms to you. Thanks

On the health front I am starting to finally feel better and I am sure that that is due to the news of reaching the £20,000 mark. I ate today for the first time in three weeks ok so it was a starbucks(probably not the most nutritious but its a start!!) No but seriously guys thank you so much for all your kind messages and prayers they have really been what has gotten me through this last few weeks. Mum and Dad have literally been living up here with me so thanks also to everyone that has been kind enough to help out with the rest of the crew with lifts, meals etc. we all appreciate it so much.

Today the whole crew came up (well bar Dave) and literally took over my room but that is the way I like it and it was so good to see them all again.

Anyway I had better go here but Thanks Again everyone
Charlene
x

I'm Back

Just a quick update to say that I am beginning to improve. I think I can honestly say that this last week was probably one of the worst I have ever experienced. Sure there is still a long way to go but put it like this I'm already pestering the docs to let me home so that can only be a good thing!!

Thanks so much to everyone who is praying for me and the family,facebooking,us and texting us Mum and Dad have been sitting with me most days and I always love when they read out all of the texts that they have received Thanks so much folks they really do help.

On the fundraising side of things we have hit the £10,000 mark so keep it coming folks Thank you so much. Also if anyone else is interested the santa letters and wordsearches are still available

Thanks Again
Char
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Improvement and Thanks

Dickie again:
We are in so much a better place tonight than last night. Yesterday was very, very difficult but today Charlene has picked up the baton and fought and battled back against all the odds. The central line has been successfully removed and Charlene has a little bit more energy today and tons more fight than we could ever have hoped for. There is clearly a long way to go, and we have often been going two steps forward and two steps back, but things are again pointing and moving in the right direction - a real answer to the prayers of so many. Thank you to everyone who has been praying for and thinking of Charlene.

Sorry we have not been able to answer all the texts and messages, but your love and support means just so much to Charlene and all the other Barrs.

God is always good. God bless.

Yet another admission

Charlene got out of hospital on Monday past but unfortunately took very ill again during the week with high temperatures, chest pain and vomiting. She eventually agreed to be readmitted again yesterday (Friday). She looked so ill and the hospital changed her antibiotics yet again - she is now on a 3 antibiotic combination (this is her 16th course of intravenous antibiotics this year).
Today thankfully there is amazing progress. She is still not well and looks so weak but she wanted to come down to meet her Mum at the front of the hospital as I had brought down an Amazon package Charlene had ordered - it contained Michael Buble's new cd which Charlene had bought for her Mum. What can I say.

Thanks to Lynne Strong for doing a coffee morning today for Charlenes Project. Over £500 raised - thanks to all who supported.

Word Search

Charlene has been unwell today and her blood tests would suggest it is further infection in her chest. Clearly if she were to get the call at times like this she would not be well enough to go for transplant. Needs to see progress with things again so appreciate prayers. She sends her regards to everyone following her site.

Sunday Life ran another article last weekend and Craigavon Echo featured her on the front page today. http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/sunday-life/lurgan-girl-given-goahead-for-lifesaving-procedure-as-sunday-life-readers-donate-to--her-uganda-school-project-14521631.html

We appreciate this publicity so that money can be raised for Hidden Treasure.

A Word Search sheet is available to sell at £1 per sheet. Please get in contact if you can help Charlene by selling some for her.

Thanks

Chest Infection

This is Dickie, Charlenes Dad updating her Blog. She has been on IV antibiotics for over a week and unfortunately over the last few days she has been feeling things are going down so today she was readmitted to hospital again. Tonight when we were with her she was in reasonable form, her IV antibiotics have been changed and thankfully her weight hasn't dropped, still being 39.6kg.
Hopefully things will pick up quickly - we still haven't heard officially that Charlene is on the transplant list - hopefully we will have that confirmation early next week.
Thanks so much for being with her on this journey.