THE PRIME minister has recognised Tim and Rachel Ollerenshaw for their exceptional service supporting children with cancer and life-limiting illnesses.
The Hatton Park couple help children with cancer by creating a therapeutic toy lion with its own Hickman line and detachable mane to explain and normalise the effect of chemotherapy, as well as other treatments for serious illnesses.
Their charity Molly Olly’s Wishes, in memory of their daughter Molly, has now raised £2million and also grants special wishes to terminally ill children.
Tim and Rachel are the latest recipients of the Points of Light award, which recognises outstanding volunteers making a change in their community and inspiring others.
Boris Johnson, in a personal letter to Tim and Rachel, said: “I know you do this with no thought of praise or reward, but allow me to offer my own recognition of how you have helped explain and normalise the effect of chemotherapy for children with cancer by creating a therapeutic toy lion with detachable mane. The £2million you have raised through your charity ‘Molly Olly’s Wishes’ has created special memories for so many families in memory of your incredibly brave Molly.”
Tim and Rachel said they were honoured to receive the award.
“We would like to take the opportunity to pay tribute to all our volunteers and donors. Their support enables us to help so many children and their families and we simply could not do it without them.
“Having a child with a serious life-threatening illness has a massive impact on so many. The effect is far wider reaching than many realise and from our experiences with Molly, we wanted to help make those dark days brighter and help support children’s emotional well-being through these challenging circumstances.
” We feel extremely privileged to have met some very inspiring children and parents on our journey.”
