The Forum in Bath is to host an attempt to break two world records on Saturday 4th June, in memory of Chilcompton teenager Emma Welch, who passed away from complications following back surgery, a year ago to the day.
At least 485 participants are needed to do some very simple, simultaneous crocheting.
In the weeks before Emma’s tragic death, aged 14, her mother, Lesley, had taken up crocheting, so Emma developed a shared interest in order for the two of them to spend time together.
During Emma’s short life, she raised more than £13,000 for Brain Tumour Research through a number of daring challenges, having learnt that her former church minister, Andrew Stammers, had been diagnosed with an aggressive brain tumour.
Emma was particularly motivated by that fact that more children and adults under the age of 40 die of a brain tumour than any other cancer, yet just 1% of the national spend on cancer research has been allocated to this devastating disease.
Her father, Tony, has spoken movingly about what it has been like over the last year, trying to cope with the loss of his precious daughter.
He explained: “Living each day without Emma is a constant struggle. Life now is about how best to get through today. I dare not think about how many years of life we may still have ahead of us without her.
“Lesley and I are learning that grief is not something you get over or move on from. Grief is something that you live with forever.
“It doesn’t diminish and it certainly does not go away. It’s just your capacity to hold and absorb that grief that grows until you are able to carry it without most people around you noticing it.
“It’s hard to explain grief to someone who hasn’t experienced it. It’s harder still to explain the grief of losing your child.
“And if that isn’t bad enough then, for me, it’s impossible to explain the loss of an only child. Imagine you are about to have your second child; everyone in that position says ‘I don’t know how I can divide my love between the two children’.
“What happens is you don’t. When you have one child you give all your love to that child. When you have your second, your ability to hold love suddenly increases so that you are still giving the same amount of love to the first child, but now give equal love to the second.
“As your ability to hold love increases so your ability to hold grief increases when you lose your child. That is the only way I know of how to explain grief.
“We don’t think of Emma any less than we did when she was with us. That’s exactly the same – from the moment we wake up to the moment we drift off to sleep. We constantly talk about her. Only now, tears sometimes escape along with the immense pride and joy that we feel.
“Emma will always remain the most important thing in our lives. I once said that when Emma was born I lost my identity; I ceased to be known as Tony and became known as Emma’s Dad. That hasn’t changed. I’m still Emma’s Dad.”
Inspired to continue Emma’s amazing legacy, her close friend and fellow Norton Hill student, Victoria Roberts, 15, hit on the idea of attempting to break two crochet world records.
Victoria commented: “Emma climbed the height of Everest on an indoor climbing wall, cycled over 1,000 miles and climbed Snowdon with 135 teddy bears, despite her painful scoliosis condition.
“She never complained. She was an amazing example to us all, always thinking of others before herself.”
“I am delighted to say that we are going smash our first world record (a display of more than 13,000 crocheted items), having had in excess of 22,000 crocheted daisies pouring in from enthusiastic individuals and groups such as the WI, Brownies and Guides, all over the country.
“We picked daisies to crochet because Daisy was Emma’s middle name. It is comforting knowing that so many people have been moved to help out because of Emma’s courageous and selfless outlook on life.
“But we still urgently need volunteers to attempt to break the number of people crocheting simultaneously at the Forum in Bath.
“You don’t have to even be able to crochet as we can teach you to crochet a simple chain in just a few minutes if you turn up early.
“Currently, we have 236 people booked in and I am holding crochet lessons after school this week, but we need more than 485 to break the record. Please register your free place at www.eventbrite.co.uk and come along to the Forum by 10am on Saturday, 4th June.
“You will be away by 11am and free to enjoy the sights and shops of Bath!
“If that’s not enough to tempt you, Emma’s Dad has learnt to crochet himself (he claimed it was easy-peasy) and has issued a challenge to “manly men’s groups” to take on the women on Saturday 4th June.
“Tony has also declared that he will be turning up on the day in a fetching pair of crocheted pink, yellow and white daisy shorts!”
Carol Robertson, Head of Community Fundraising for Brain Tumour Research, said: “Emma was an amazing supporter and fundraiser for our charity.
“We are so grateful to Victoria and her mother Sandra for all their hard work organising these world record attempts in Emma’s memory. Wouldn’t it be fitting if a world record was broken on the anniversary of her loss?
“Brain Tumour Research is striving to fund a network of seven dedicated research centres whilst challenging the government and larger cancer charities to invest more in brain tumour research. Help us fund the fight. Together we will find a cure.”
To register your free place to take part in the crochet world record visit: www.eventbrite.co.uk and if you can’t help out on 4th June, make a donation by visiting: https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/Daisy-Bear.
For more information, go to www.facebook.com/daisy.bear.750.