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Kellie Newman

September Reading Challenge

Donate to Kellie and help them hit their goal of £500!

This September I'll be taking on Teenage Cancer Trusts Reading Challenge

In 2014, at just 18 years old, I was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukaemia. 

Within 24 hours of that diagnosis, I found myself in the Teenage Cancer Trust unit at Southampton Hospital, where I would remain for the next 8 months undergoing treatment.

The unit was a game changer.

It provided private rooms in a modern, welcoming environment, giving patients the privacy to make the space their own; whether that meant decorating their room with personal belongings, surrounding themselves with their hobbies, or simply having somewhere that felt a little more like home.

It also meant my family and friends could stay with me and be part of my journey.

The staff were incredible, and the Teenage Cancer Trust coordinator on site became such an important part of my support network. They organised workshops and activities, helped with the endless paperwork for both me and my family (because life still happens, even when you have cancer), and provided financial support towards things like fuel and other costs.

At a time when everything else felt completely out of my control, having that support made such a huge difference.

Without Teenage Cancer Trust, my story may have been very different.

After almost 18 months in remission, unfortunately, my leukaemia returned - and so did our suitcases back to the unit.

This time, I spent six months as an inpatient receiving intensive treatment, chemotherapy and radiotherapy to prepare me for a life-saving bone marrow transplant.

Teenage Cancer Trust is a charity that goes above and beyond to support young people and their families through what can be one of the most terrifying and difficult experiences imaginable.

This reading challenge is my little way of giving something back.

I want to raise as much as I can so that Teenage Cancer Trust can continue providing the support, spaces, activities and practical help that made such a difference to me - and so they can be there for the next young person and their family who suddenly find themselves facing cancer.

Cancer is a *insert swear word here*

But charities like Teenage Cancer Trust are what make a difference. 💗

So, this September, I’m going to read my way through a challenge, hopefully discover some new favourite books along the way, and raise some money for a charity that helped me through one of the hardest chapters of my life.

If you’re able to donate, share my challenge, or even just cheer me on from the sidelines, I’d be incredibly grateful.

Thank you. 🩷📚

Please Help Me
Reach My Goal

Raised

£1,001 + £199.91 GiftAid

My Goal

£500

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£33
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My Achievements

Fundraising page

Reached 50% of fundraising target

Received First Donation

Updated Profile Pic

Added a Blog Post

Received 5 Donations

Reached Goal

Reached Fitness Target

Increased Target

My Updates

And that’s the end of the challenge!!! 🎉

Thursday 1st Oct

30 days, 5 books, 201 chapters… and a whopping £1,001 raised for Teenage Cancer Trust! 

From the bottom of my heart, thank you SO much to every single person who donated. I genuinely cannot put into words how much it meant to me. Seeing the donations come in throughout the challenge brought me so much joy and kept me going, especially on the days when 5 chapters felt like a LOT! 😂

I truly appreciate every single donation, no matter how big or small, and I know that every penny is going towards such an amazing cause and helping young people and their families through an incredibly difficult time.

Thank you for reading along, cheering me on, donating, sharing, and supporting me throughout the 30 days. ❤️

£1,001!!! I honestly can’t believe it. 🥹📚

DAY 14 UPDATE — 2 WEEKS, 3 BOOKS & 82 CHAPTERS!! 📚🎉

Monday 14th Sep
WE ARE ONLY £98 AWAY FROM RAISING £1,000!!!!! 😱🙌 I am absolutely blown away by the support I’ve received from everyone throughout this challenge. When I started, I was so nervous that me and my books wouldn’t even make it to the original £150 target… and here we are just two weeks in, and a whopping £902 has been raised! 🤯 And the best part? I haven’t even had to pull a single muscle! 😂 We’re officially 82 chapters in, 12 chapters ahead of schedule and onto BOOK THREE!! It has genuinely been a challenge finding the time to read my five chapters every single day in between the chaos of everyday life, but it has also been so incredibly rewarding. Every donation, every message, every share and every bit of support keeps me going and reminds me why I started this in the first place. So, from the bottom of my heart, THANK YOU SO, SO MUCH. ❤️ We’re so close now… £98 TO GO. Please keep sharing far and wide, and let’s see if we can smash that £1,000 TARGET!!! 📚 LET’S DO THIS!!! 🙌❤️

✨ DAY 8 OF THE SEPTEMBER CHALLENGE! ✨

Monday 7th Sep
As of last night, I officially finished my first book of the challenge: Nightshade by Autumn Woods! 📖 Nightshade was a total of 35 chapters (34 chapters plus a bonus chapter), and honestly... I'm so glad I finally got around to reading this one! It was an excellent read, and for all my dark academia lovers out there, this one is definitely for you. 🖤 Now, onto the next book! Continuing with the series, my next read will be Daybreak by Autumn Woods. Let's see how many chapters we can get through next! 👀📖 One book down... and plenty more to go! Thank you so much to everyone who has donated so far!!!✨

✨ Today is officially the start of the challenge! ✨

Tuesday 1st Sep
And somehow, we’ve already raised an AMAZING £320!!! 🥹🩷 Thank you so, so much to every single person who has donated, shared my posts, sent me messages, or supported me in any way. I genuinely cannot tell you how much it means to me - and how many happy tears I’ve shed over this already. 🥹 Since we’re only just getting started, I’ve decided to raise the fundraising goal to £500! 🎉 Now, onto the actual reading challenge… 📚 My challenge is to read at least 5 chapters every single day throughout September. And if you know me, you’ll know that I am NOT a consistency girly 😂 So yes… this is very much going to be a challenge! I’m yet to choose the book I’m going to start with and officially get this thing underway, but I’ll be keeping you all updated as I go -including my progress, what I’m reading and, inevitably, any moments where I question why I decided to do this. 😂 Thank you again, from the bottom of my heart, for helping me raise money for a charity that means so much to me. 🩷 Now… £500, here we come! 📚✨

Thank you to my Sponsors

£109.25

Anonymous

£55.88

Pops

Bless you and good luck. Love you too the moon and back 💛

£55.88

Vicky Beale

Happy reading Kellie! 📚

£55.88

Anonymous

£50

Tim Schwaiger

Wow it sounds like you have your own story to tell

£50

Madison Everidge

Fantastic charity as I know from being on the same teenage cancer ward amazing thing your doing miss u lots and good luck ❤️❤️

£37.06

Mama

Proud of you darling 😘 xx

£37.06

Debbie Gr

£37.06

Louise Downey

£33

L ❤️

Love you always the strongest person I know 🫶🫶🫶

£28.44

Tasha

£25

Chantelle Carman

£24.54

Jade Ramsey

£24.54

Carol

Good luck.

£24.54

Lyndsey

£24.54

Phil Cook

Can you list the books you've read?

£23.45

Mary Snip

Well done

£23.45

Charles Strohacker

£23.45

John Commins

£21

Anonymous

Amazing as always Warrior Girl xx

£20

Fiona Murray

Read about your story and this fundraising effort in the WSCC Chief Executive's blog and wanted to support the cause. As someone who grew up without a TV I LOVE reading :-)

£17.89

Lydia + Stuart

Sorry it's not much. Well done on raising such an incredible amount already! Love you loads❤️

£15

Kaz & Ricky

Ur an amazing young lady a true inspiration to others Good luck with the reading 🍀 📚 xx

£12.71

Ruby From Book Club

Amazing girl, amazing charity ❤️ Keep shining, lovely!

£12.25

Jo Noyce

Every word and every penny counts - enjoy your reading! X

£12.25

Emily From Book Club

£12.25

Emma From C&c Bookclub!

Go on girl! Smashing this!!

£12.25

Holly Elliott

Well done and best of luck!

£12.25

Saskia Steele

love you 💗💗

£12.25

Saida Karimova

You are an incredibly inspiring human ❤️

£12.25

Vivienne N

Always support Fire Service and blood cancer charities, and am a total bookworm, so just got to support Kellie - good luck, and keep well xx

£12.25

Katie Lewis

You are amazing

£10

Holly Carmelo

💜📚

£10

Sacha

£10

Marik

£10

Steve Lintott

Wishing you the very best of luck

£6.56

Matt Warren

Fantastic job. Keep up the good work.

£6.56

Emma Bradbury

Well done Kellie xx

£5

Peri Jenkins

Well Done Kellie

£5

Hollie Nash

Sorry it’s not much. Here for you in anyway you need ❤️

£5

Carly

Amazing work! Lots of love Carly (readingalibi) xx

£3

Joy

Well done you rockstar! Both for coming through such a traumatic experience and also for deciding to give back 🩷

£2

Andrea Ward