We are excited to welcome Quinn Stansfield to The Mason Mile team as our Mini Ambassador! Aged only 3, Quinn has a remarkable story to tell that has inspired many people across the country – including all of us here at The Mason Foundation.
We discovered Quinn’s story after reading about her ‘30 Miles My Way’ challenge back in April. This campaign was created by the Manchester Foundation Trust Charity to help raise vital funds for hospitals across Greater Manchester. The goal was to get people out in the fresh air and clock up 30 miles over April, (the average amount of miles NHS nurses walk in a week) – any way they liked! This challenge would be a big task for any three-year-old, but even more so for Quinn, who was born with a rare defect which means she has to wear a prosthetic leg for walking. Quinn’s story immediately resonated with us; as did the message behind the campaign that mirrors our own core ethos, ‘Your Mile, Your Way’!
Quinn’s Mum, Natasha Thomas, signed their family up for the challenge to help build Quinn’s confidence with walking and to raise money for The Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital. The hospital means a lot to the Burnley based family, as not only is Quinn a current outpatient there but Natasha was also treated at the same hospital between the ages of 4 – 13 for leukaemia. Their initial target was £300 but Quinn’s story soon warmed the hearts of many – so much so that they quickly smashed their target and have now raised an astounding £5,148!
Natasha said that prior to the ‘30 Miles My Way Challenge’, ‘Quinn would struggle with her walking and often wanted to be carried instead’. However, since getting into the habit of doing their daily one-mile walks, Quinn is not only ‘much more confident walking’, but she now enjoys their regular walks and is getting ‘stronger and stronger everyday’.
There is so much we can all learn from this determined three-year-old and we are delighted to be ‘putting Quinn in purple’ as our new Mini Ambassador! Even though they have completed their 30-day challenge, Quinn is continuing to inspire people every day and we believe that she will be a wonderful role model for our Miler Community.
Our Founder Stephen Mason, created The Mason Mile so that people could do ‘Their Mile, Their Way’, regardless of ability or disability and without any competition, pressure, or stigma. He wanted to empower people to take that important first step towards a healthier and happier life, removing any obstacles that might prevent them from living an active lifestyle. Quinn has embodied this – refusing to let her disability hold her back and proving to people far and wide that you can achieve anything you put your mind to.
Natasha, James, and Quinn will be keeping up their regular family walks so that Quinn can continue to improve her walking, whilst encouraging others to do ‘Their Mile, Their Way’ and reap the benefits of regular exercise – just like Quinn has. We are honoured to have their family on board and look forward to launching our Family Miles in the North-West very soon.
If you would like to donate to Quinn’s fundraiser, please click here. All money raised will be spent on treatment, research and care projects that benefit patients and their families when they visit the hospitals. You can also follow Quinn’s journey via socials on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook.
If you would like to find out more about The Family Mile or if would like to join our team of Ambassadors, please contact us on 0300 30 31 030 or email us at info@masonfoundation.co.uk.
