Neurology Academy encourages 'whole health' focus via Snowflake appeal for Sheffield Children's Hospital

We often think of neurological conditions as affecting adults and older people, but we know that countless children are impacted by them every day.

Whether living with a neurological condition themselves, actively caring for a parent or loved one, or witnessing a relative experiencing radical changes to their lives, numerous children are affected by neurological conditions in one way or another.

That impact might affect their physical or mental health, their social interactions or education - and each of these affects the whole of a person, and the wider community that they are part of.

Neurology Academy, whilst supporting a global neurological community, is also part of a local one too. Based in Sheffield, we are very aware of the fantastic work that one of our local healthcare providers, Sheffield Children's Hospital does for the neurological community.

A pioneering centre for neurosurgery, the hospital supports children with neuromuscular disorders such as spinal muscular atrophy (SMA), and provides specialist neurorehabilitation for children living with a head or spinal injury. They are leaders in care for children with epilepsy, opened the first UK clinic for paediatric ataxia, provide a specialist neurological neonatal service, and offer a paediatric intrathecal baclofen service for children with spasticity, including those with paediatric MS.

To support them and their role in both our local and national neurology community, we are donating a 'Snowflake' to the outside of the hospital this year. The more funds we raise, the bigger our Snowflake is, and the more support and care this fantastic service can offer to the families who need it.

We would like to invite you to consider, not just the whole person, when supporting someone with a neurological condition, but their whole family, their whole community - and the whole of that community's health.

Our challenge:

Sheffield Children's Hospital opened in 1876, and Neurology Academy have committed, as a team, to donating that amount in pounds - and to travelling that distance in miles between 1st November and 31st December.

Our team of eight will be walking, running, cycling, swimming, rowing, skating - you name it - across 1,876 miles over two months.

We would like to invite you to support the hospital, and us, by donating either money or miles. That's right - you too can travel under your own steam and donate the distance to us! We would love your support.

If you would like to contribute funds to our Snowflake, please visit our JustGiving page:

justgiving.com/fundraising/neurologyacademy

If you would like to donate miles, please log them here, and feel free to Tweet your contributions via the hashtag #neurosnowflake1876 or drop us an email and we'll do the honours. Feel free to proudly portray your proof via picture or Strava too!