Celebrating Team Ewan
Tell us a little about Ewan.
Well let’s be honest, he’s six, so mostly he’s an expert in everything. He’s lively, smart, loves to play – mostly Lego and Hot Wheels. His favourite things are probably eating (fruit and sweets), his cousins and my Xbox.
How did you deal with Ewan’s diagnosis?
It was rough. Ewan had a suspected bowel obstruction and CF was mentioned. A lady introduced herself as being from the CF team and the penny dropped. What followed was the steepest of learning curves. We pretty much lived in the hospital for the next seven weeks due to other complications. It was exhausting, but we dealt with it by just doing it – there wasn’t another choice.
How does CF affect him day-to-day?
It’s always there in the background but he’s currently doing quite well. What affects him most day-to-day is just doing all the CF-related things that take him away from being a kid; he doesn’t love physio and is on nebulisers twice a day, on top of lots of tablets.
Why did you start fundraising for the Trust?
We already fundraised for various charities, but none close to home. Ewan’s dad Mike often signs up for the Great North Swim and swimming for the Trust quickly became an obvious choice.
Tell us about Team Ewan and how you’ve raised money for the Trust?
Initially it was just family, then we had a wave of people wanting to help, so Team Ewan was created, with people all over the country taking part in events: from coffee mornings and raffles to the Great North Swim (from 250m to 10km), the Great North Run (with some people carrying a 12ft replica of the Tyne Bridge), and Ewan’s 2.6 challenge (when he was two years old). The highlight is the Team Ewan Charity Ball, which we have held four times and brings in 150+ supporters all in their finery. All that comes to a fundraising total of over £70,000 to date.
What advice would you give to other parents with children with CF?
We could say loads here: stick to information from the Trust; beware of social media; talk to your CF team; wear sunscreen (music credit: Baz Luhrmann). While that’s sound advice, you’re doing fine – keep doing that!
Why would you encourage others to fundraise with the Trust?
We want the best for Ewan and everyone with CF. Without the funding, Cystic Fibrosis Trust can’t do what it’s doing. We were invited to the Trust’s 60th anniversary event, and it was clear to us that there are very smart people working on this so we’re gonna have their back while they do.
What are your hopes for Ewan’s future?
Oooooh, astronaut, actor, Olympian, international man of mystery – whatever he likes really. We want him to be able to do whatever he wants and not be limited by his condition.
We’d like to say a huge thank you to everyone involved with Team Ewan.
Wear yellow. Raise money. Change the future.
The brightest, yellowest fundraising day of the year returns Friday 13 June 2025.