Paul Tierney

Thursday 2nd November 2023 is a date that will stay with Paul Tierney forever. A seemingly normal day was turned upside down when his daughter, Lottie, 7, was diagnosed with a brain tumour at Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital (RMCH).

The tumour was big, measuring 6 x 4 x 4cm. Four days later, Lottie underwent a seven-hour operation to have the tumour removed. The operation was deemed successful, with surgeons removing as much of the tumour as possible. Biopsy results however found that the tumour was malignant, with Lottie further being diagnosed with a rare form of cancer called Ewing Sarcoma.

The diagnosis meant Lottie, now 8, would need to go through chemotherapy and radiotherapy. To date, Lottie has bravely completed 14 out of 14 cycles of chemotherapy and 30 sessions of proton beam therapy treatment. Despite what has been a difficult and scary time, Lottie has remained positive and upbeat throughout – even doing her own fundraising and selflessly donating her ponytail for a charity that provides real hair wigs for children who have lost their hair through cancer.

Her positivity has also inspired her school, Crompton Primary, to raise money by selling donuts and cancer awareness ribbons. Thankful for Lottie’s treatment and wanting to give back to RMCH – part of Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust (MFT) – and the ward (Ward 86) that has been instrumental in Lottie’s care, Paul took on a host of gruelling charity events in 2024.

“All the nurses and staff have been amazing looking after Lottie – this is why I wanted to give something back,” Paul says.

A 12-hour golf event on Friday 21 June was followed by a gruelling 200km group bike ride from Manchester to Blackpool and back in July, with his fundraising team, Lottie’s Legends. As part of the bike ride, Paul enlisted local companies to sponsor the team, wearing their logos on the bespoke cycling jerseys he had made up for the ride. The logos also featured on the ride’s support van.

Paul says: “Finding time was harder than the training. When you’re not in hospital, you just want to rest as it’s very tiring, both physically and mentally, but I knew I had to get some miles in the legs whenever the opportunity arose.”

“I went out a lot in the rain and got caught in some torrential downpours. I felt like turning back and going home but had to remind myself why I was doing the ride and it put it all into perspective.”

As well as being a keen cyclist, Paul is a life-long Manchester City fan and as part of his fundraising, he was able to raffle off a signed Kevin De Bruyne shirt donated by the club to bolster his fundraising, raising over £3,000 from the sale of raffle tickets.

“I’ll be organising my own fundraiser later this year and taking part in the Great Giving Challenge. I’m not sure what I’ll be doing yet – maybe a golf day! But, I do know I’ll be raising as much money as I can to support the Charity and our NHS Hospitals.”

“I have seen first-hand how much of a difference the Charity’s support makes to the patients and families in Manchester. We couldn’t have got through Lottie’s treatment without the kindness of the staff on Ward 86. I want to make sure that every patient receives the care they deserve, and I know others do too.”