Madison Allan Memorial Fund

THE uncle of Madison Allan, who lost her battle with cancer over Christmas, will be bearing the Olympic Flame in her memory.

Simon Foster, from Darwen, applied through The Olympic’s sponsor, Coca Cola, before his seven-year-old niece lost her battle to Neuroblastoma.

And now the 28-year-old, who was hoping that Madison could take part in the London 2012 Olympic Torch Relay, will run alone following Madison’s death in December.

He said: “My girlfriend encouraged me to write a story telling the sponsors why Madison should carry the Olympic flame, because originally I wanted her to do it.

“I told them about her battle and everything that she had been through, hoping she could carry the torch herself.

“She would have loved it. Maddi just loved all that sort of thing.

“The buzz and the attention is something she would have thrived on.”

After receiving an email confirming that Madison was shortlisted, Simon was then chosen to hold the torch and had to be Madison’s guardian, as Torchbearers must be over the age of 12.

Simon will now take the Olympic Torch in Preston on June 23.

It will then make its way to East Lancashire, passing through Mellor Brook, Blackburn, Oswaldtwistle, Accrington and Burnley and on to Rawtenstall.

Lit in Greece, the Olympic Flame arrives in the UK on 18 May. Representing peace, unity and friendship, the flame will be carried by 8,000 inspirational Torchbearers.

They will take the flame through more than 1,000 cities, towns and villages in the UK. Surrounded by family and friends, Simon said that being part of London 2012 Olympic Torch Relay, would be ‘emotional’.

He said: “It’s going to be an experience that I will never forget.

“But it’s not about me, it’s about Madison. And all of those people who care about her.

“No doubt I will be teary-eyed and emotional because that’s what it all means.

“The Olympics is a legacy to everyone worldwide and I am so proud to be doing what I am doing, but for me the legacy is Madisons.”

Sunday, March 11, 2012       – 1:00pm until 5:00pm   @ Parliment square

TELEVISION stars ditched their designer shoes for trainers in a rough-and-tumble workout for the Madison Allan Appeal.

Scott Wright, who played Coronation Street mechanic Sam Kingston until 2002, organised the awareness-raising ‘bootcamp’ for his showbiz friends, after retraining as a celebrity personal trainer.

He first met Madison, of Lower Darwen, when she was two, and they jointly switched on Darwen’s Christmas lights.

Since her death from aggressive childhood cancer neuroblastoma on Boxing Day, he has vowed to bring public attention to the condition.

Among stars working up a sweat were Coronation Street’s Catherine Tyldesley who plays Eva Price, and Shobna Gulati who plays Sunita Alahan and Sally Dynevor who plays Sally Webster.

Also getting in on the act were Emmerdale actor Kelvin Fletcher who plays Andy Sugden, and several Big Brother names from the past including Craig Phillips, Lisa Appleton and Mario Marconi.

Scott, 37, said: “I knew Madison well, and she seemed to like me. I even named my little girl Lexi Madison after her.

“When she died I was determined to keep her memory alive, and now I want to give that a big, big push.

“It’s not hard for me to get my friends together and to make a few phone calls.

“It was a good day putting them all through their paces and getting them to trott about. I now want to do something to raise awareness of Neuroblastoma every couple of months.”

Alison Foster, Madison’s grandmother, attended the event in Hale, Cheshire.

She said: “It was wonderful to see so many people wearing T-shirts with Madison’s picture on, and to start the campaign.”

THANK you, Lancashire Telegraph, for the wonderful coverage of Madison Allan’s funeral (if such a thing can be wonderful).

I would also like to thank you from the bottom of my heart for everything you did in highlighting Madison’s fundraising.

You have been fantastic.

We will never forget.

Losing Madison has been the hardest thing we have ever had to face, and the pain will never go away.

Although I have been told it does get easier, at this moment I find that hard to believe.

Madison’s family would like to say Thank you to everyone who was at

 Maddi’s funeral and also to those who couldnt make it, but still honoured her memory by wearing PINK.

A big thank you to Darwen funeral Services who did a wonderful job with the service, it was beautiful.

We would also like to apologise to people whom we did not get a chance

to acknowledge at the Cathedral or Cemetery, this wasn’t on purpose.

We hope that you all stay with us in our fight to save other children

with Neuroblastoma, to help us get the government to change policies

and red tape so that our children can have life saving treatment in THIS

country and not have to pay to go oversea’s.

Thank you xxxxxx

Madison’s funeral will be held on :

Thursday 5th Jan 2012

12.30pm

at  Blackburn Cathedral

Cathedral close, Blackburn Lancs, BB1 5AA

followed by a service at

Darwen Cemetery

Reception will be held at

The Whitehall Hotel  (friends & family only)

Samantha and Mark welcomes anyone who would like to come and pay their respects to Madison at the cathedral, they are wanting to see as many people there for Maddi. They request you to wear a splash of pink (any version) to represent Maddi.

All flowers can be sent to Darwen Funeral Service, Blackburn Rd, Darwen, Lancs Before 10am 5th Jan or if you prefer a donation to www.themadisonallanmemorialfund.org.uk  will be welcome also, as the charity is still going to be raising money for Neuroblastoma.

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