Sotiris and Eleni Christophe and Gina Pantziarka

So I haven’t done a blog post for a while. It’s coming up to the end of a very difficult, busy year and I’m snowed under with things to do: I’ve been working really hard to get organised at work, CRUK Ambassador work, Christmas shopping, trying to find time to spend with my family. It’s been chaos! I’m going to have to dedicate more time to this blog as I really do love writing it.

I thought it was about time I did my tribute post for the two aunts and uncle that I have lost to Cancer. It was twelve years on Tuesday since we lost my Auntie Eleni so they’ve been on my mind even more then usual this week.

Firstly I wanted to start with my Uncle/Godfather Sotiris Christophe. Unfortunately he died when I was a baby so I don’t remember much about him but I do know he loved me very much. Dada (Godfather in Greek) was not only my dad’s big brother but he was also his best friend. He was chosen to be my godfather and I know for a fact he excelled at the job. I have a video of him looking after me during a heat wave and I was so hot that he got out the hairdryer and used the cool setting to cool me down. I also have a very cute pink fur coat that he bought me when I was about one. He was the first member of my family to die of cancer and although I don’t remember him clearly, I do miss him a lot and I do love him so much. I feel sad for my dad because he has lost such an important person and I feel sad that my sisters and my brother never got to meet him. I showed Leo and his mum a video of Nikki and me when we were little and you can tell what time period it is by what my yiayia is wearing. In my very early videos you see her in vibrant pinks and yellows but in the later videos she is in head to toe black. She wore black everyday after my Dada died. His death changed our family forever and is one of the saddest things to ever have happened to me.

My auntie Gina was also my godmother (Nouna in Greek). She was married to my Uncle/Dada Pan and was mum to my cousins Despo and Georgie. Again, she died when I was quite young so my memories of her are quite vague. I do remember she was very affectionate, I remember she absolutely adored Despo and Georgie (as well as Nik and me!) and I remember that she called us Cheeky Monkey’s a lot. Nouna died very suddenly when Despo was nine and Georgie was a little baby. I remember parts of what happened, I remember her funeral was on my mum’s birthday and that we stayed with Despo and Georgie a lot to make sure they were ok. I hope wherever Nouna is now, she has been reunited with Georgie and I hope she can see what an amazing young woman Despo has become.

Auntie Eleni was my dad’s sister. The baby of the family. She was amazing. She loved Nik and me loads and would spoil us rotten. When we were little, dad took us to museums all the time and Auntie Eleni would sometimes come with us. I remember once we went somewhere and queued for ages to get in. As soon as we stepped foot inside Nik and I started asking for Macdonalds and dad wanted to see a bit of the museum first. Auntie Eleni wouldn’t have any of it and off we went to Macdonalds just as we wanted! I was about 10 when Auntie Eleni got sick. I remember she didn’t lose any of her hair, which was good because I always want to remember her with her big curly hair and big smile. I’ve managed to block out a lot of her illness and death, I just remember her as I want to remember her: my beautiful, kind auntie. I have a lot of her clothes and jewellery in a box tucked safely away to remember her by and I treasure them.

Losing my aunts and uncles is horrific and always will be some of the saddest events in my life. Not only did I lose them, but I also lost the possibility of more cousins and friends. Our family could have been bigger and more vibrant. It’s horribly heartbreaking. I’m not sure how my dad and Despo have coped with losing such people, it’s been hard enough for me. They were amazing aunts and uncles to me and I miss them everyday. All my charity work is for them, I don’t want them to have died for nothing. I hope they can see me and what I do and know that I loved them all very much and think of them everyday.

Twinkle Twinkle Little Star

Cancer Research UK and TX Maxx have launched their 2011-12 Little Star Awards to celebrate children across the UK who have been diagnosed with cancer and are battling it with true bravery and courage. As I’m sure you can guess, this is something very close to my heart and I’m really glad CRUK are recognising how brave and amazing these children are.

My vote would go to Georgie but I know for a fact that there are some fantastic children in the UK, fighting hard to beat cancer and my heart goes out to them all.

If you know of a child battling cancer, living in the UK and under the age of 18, and you would like to nominate them then please click on the link below and fill in the online form.

https://survey.cancerresearchuk.org/Survey.aspx?s=dce8825112d042a4ba393d3e0fdd0684

All the children nominated will get a Little Star trophy, a t-shirt, a bear and a certificate. The first 300 nominees will also receive a £50 TK Maxx voucher.

Everyday around four children are diagnosed with cancer. From personal experience I can tell you that it is a heartbreaking and gruelling experience for all involved. We lost our Georgie but lots of children manage to beat cancer, more then ever before. CRUK is a major funder of research into childhood cancers; in 2010 they spent almost £9 million pounds on research. That money was used to support doctors and scientists who are trying to find out what causes cancer in children and trying to find ways to ensure faster diagnosis and better treatments.

CRUK’s research has played a part in transforming survival rates for children suffering from cancer. In the 1960’s only about a quarter of children diagnosed with cancer would survive. Today, the figures have reversed and around three quarters of children survive cancer.

Professor Nazeen Rahman is leading a team at the Institute of Cancer Research and trying to find out genes make children more likely to develop cancer. This is a huge thing for me and my family as it turned out Georgie had a gene that meant he was more susceptible to cancer. For years we were told it was an unfortunate coincidence that he developed cancer after losing his mum to the disease but we found out too late that it was in fact caused by a gene he has most likely inherited from her. Being tested as a two year old may have saved Georgie but we will never know. I’m very relieved to know that Professor Rahman and his team are working hard to use genetic information to help other children. To read more about Professor Rahman’s amazing work, please follow the link to my Uncle’s site and read about it. It’s really interesting, and important, information. http://www.anticancer.org.uk/2011/06/tp53-and-li-fraumeni-syndrome.html#more

CRUK have also funded plenty of successful clinic trials into treating childhood cancer. They have a special Children’s Cancer Trials Team situated in Birmingham which is the only one in the UK. IT works hard to coordinate groundbreaking trials across the UK and Ireland. These trials allow innovative and amazing new treatments available giving children with cancer the change to benefit from the latest discoveries and treatments that the medical world has to offer.

Children with cancer are incredibly brave warriors and if you do know a child with cancer, please nominate them for a Little Stars award, they deserve to be recognised for fighting against the disease and they deserve to know that so many of us are rooting for them to survive. I think every person battling the disease is a Little Star and I look forward to hearing the stories of all the worthy winners. x

Support, Confidence and Sisterhood

Some of you will know that I was assaulted by another girl on Saturday night. Luckily I had my amazing boyfriend Leo with me at the time and he protected me from being seriously hurt but it was a frightening experience none the less. It got me thinking about how horrible the world is sometimes. There doesn’t seem to be much “Sisterhood” anymore. I didn’t do anything to deserve that slap: I was simply in the wrong place at the wrong time. It happens daily: girls tear down other girls about their looks, their personal lives, their clothes. It’s a very sad situation.

However I do know a girl who is proving “Sisterhood” is still alive and kicking and I’m happy to say she a very good friend of mine.

Fay Louise Bacon is twenty five and she has the world at her feet. She’s engaged to the lovely Callum and is busy planning their wedding for September 2012. She’s a proud Auntie to two little boys: Frankie and Teddy and she’s the proud director of some brilliant companies: Celebrity Publicity and UK Model Folios. She is a beautiful, intelligent and loyal friend who has supported me through good times and bad. Fay is always happy for people when they have good news, and always there to support them when they have bad news.

I got to know Fay through friends whilst at Sixth Form. She’s one of the nicest girls I have ever met and although neither of us are still in contact with the people that introduced us, we have stayed friends and managed to form a strong bond. In 2008 when I was struggling with my cousins cancer diagnosis and trying to find a job, Fay stepped in and offered me work experience and support, something I will always be grateful for.

UK Model Folios (UMF) specialises in the production and creation of model portfolios. As a formation of leading industry experts that have all worked for big name brands such as Vogue, MAXIM, FHM, Hello, OK!, The Sun, Strictly Come Dancing, I'm A Celebrity Get Me Out of Here, The Daily Star, Hello, Jordan, Girls Aloud, Ralph and many more, we provide a service to amateur and professional models that far outshines any other portfolio company on the market.
Fay is one of the hardest working women I know. She is focused and determined whilst never treading on anyone’s toes or upsetting anyone. The modelling industry can be cut throat and bitchy but I can promise any aspiring models that Fay is anything but. She has a way of putting models and everyone else at ease and making them realise their potential and star quality. She would never encourage a model to starve themselves nor would she encourage a model to have surgery they didn’t want. Fay is all about being confident, intelligent and letting your inner beauty shine through.
Fay has now expanded her business to accommodate other people who may like professional yet affordable photos and if you are suffering from low self esteem, feeling a bit low after having health problems, or just need to be reminded of how amazing you are then I really would recommend taking a trip to the UKMF studio and having an afternoon with Fay and her team of experts. She will help you create a photo that will make you feel warm and beautiful everytime you look at it.


If you want to see some of Fay’s work or get in contact with her then follow her on Twitter (@UKModelFolios) or check out her website www.ukmodelfolios.co.uk