In September 2009 the club decided to “adopt” Marshall Janson and elect him Honorary Junior Vice President. This is why…

Marshall Janson, from Carharrack, near Redruth, celebrated his first birthday on 22 December 2008. On Boxing Day, Marshall was rushed into hospital following an attack of Meningococcal Meningitis. Meningitis is a brutal and unforgiving disease.

Dr Thys De Beer, Head of Intensive Care at Treliske Hospital stated, “Marshall is the sickest child I have ever seen. His survival is almost a miracle.”

While Marshall escaped brain damage, he had to have both his hands and both his legs amputated.

Marshall now faces a lifetime of rehabilitation while adapting to the use of prosthetic limbs. Because he is so young Marshall will continually require new prosthetic limbs as he grows. To put this in perspective, Marshall will require at least one pair of hands and one pair of legs, at least once a year, every year until he is 18. His first pair of hands will cost £14,172 – EACH. His first pair of legs will cost £9,727 – EACH. Over the next 16 years it is estimated, therefore, that the costs involved will be between £850,000-£950,000.

Obviously, the cost of providing Marshall with a decent quality of life is quite breathtaking – and considerably beyond the resources of Marshall’s family or, indeed, most families. It is because of the huge cost involved that the family launched HANDSTAND – The Appeal for Marshall Janson.

The HANDSTAND Appeal was launched on 05 March 2009 and the response has been astonishing. In July of this year the HANDSTAND Appeal reached £200,000. “To have raised this amount of money in 15 months is amazing”, said Moss Janson, Marshall’s dad. “Marshall’s plight seems to have brought out the best in people. The Cornish are renowned for looking after their own and that is certainly the case with Marshall. So many people have ‘adopted’ him, taken him to their hearts, and done extraordinary things to raise funds on his behalf. We are grateful beyond words for their support and kindness.”

Marshall, now two-years-old, despite everything he has been through, remains a very happy little boy but his struggles seem endless and daunting. As recently as May he had to undergo further surgery, during which surgeons had to trim the bone on his right leg, causing Marshall terrible pain and discomfort. Doctors have not ruled out further surgery.

“We just have to soldier on and do our best for him”, said mum Stephanie. “What sustains us is that we are not alone, though. So many people have done so much for Marshall. He has a long, hard road ahead of him and we still have a financial mountain to climb but we have more hope now than we did a year ago. And, of course, we still have Marshall. We came very close to losing him, so every day is a blessing.”

HANDSTAND RUGBY

A crucial part of the fundraising effort for Marshall is HANDSTAND Rugby. HANDSTAND Rugby was born by the creation of the HANDSTAND Harlequins – a Rugby team set up to play charity games and raise funds for the Appeal. The initiative received the immediate endorsement of Phil Vickery, the Wasps, England and British & Irish Lions prop forward. The former England captain said, “As a Dad, Meningitis is every parent’s worst nightmare. I hope that the HANDSTAND Appeal raises a lot of much needed funds to help baby Marshall in his life.”

Phil’s clothing company, Raging Bull, provided the playing kit for the HANDSTAND Harlequins’ first appearance – at the Penryn Easter Rugby Sevens Tournament in April 2009. In June, the HANDSTAND Harlequins organised a fundraising lunch at the Royal Duchy Hotel in Falmouth. The principal guest was the Welsh & Lions’ legend Mervyn Davies.

THE HANDSTAND APPEAL & REDRUTH RUGBY

In September 2009, Redruth Rugby announced that they were ‘adopting’ Marshall, and he was subsequently elected Honorary Junior Vice President of the Club and the HANDSTAND logo was incorporated onto the first team’s playing shirt. The Club have committed to a number of fundraising initiatives over the coming months and years to support the Appeal, not least in sharing the proceeds from ‘An Evening With Rick Stein’. The black tie dinner, held at the Royal Cornwall Showground on 17 March 2010, raised almost £20,000 for Youth Development at the Club and the HANDSTAND Appeal.

Said Dave Penberthy, Director of Rugby at Redruth Rugby, “As a Club, and as a group of players and coaches, we are delighted to support the Appeal for Marshall. If anything was needed to give the team inspiration for the forthcoming season, it is the courage of this little boy, and the strength and dedication of his family and friends. We have many people at the Club who are parents and we cannot even begin to imagine the agony and anguish that his parents and family have endured. We are determined to do everything we can to help.”

Marshall and his Mum and Dad, Stephanie and Moss, are regular visitors to the Club, attending most home games, and Marshall always receives an enthusiastic and warm welcome. Commented Stephanie, “We are treated like royalty. We are so grateful to the Club for their kindness and generosity. What they are doing for us is amazing.”

THE HANDSTAND RUGBY SHIRT

The HANDSTAND Appeal launched its own Rugby Shirt in January. Skinner’s, Cornwall’s leading independent brewery, agreed to be the lead sponsor – and to produce a limited edition beer every year for the next three years. The first of these, HANDSTAND Hooch, went on sale just before Christmas.

The HANDSTAND Rugby Shirt has been designed by Hudson Armstrong Design (who designed the HANDSTAND Appeal logo). It is being manufactured by Raging Bull and distributed by Lovell Rugby. Lovell Rugby immediately agreed to buy the first 100 shirts – and increased the order to 230 when they saw the design. The Appeal is proud to have incorporated the logo of Redruth Rugby into the design.

If you would like to make a donation to Marshall’s HANDSTAND Appeal, contributions can be made at any branch of Lloyds TSB. Account Number 01782765. Sort Code 30 97 00.

Alternatively, cheques made payable to HANDSTAND, can be sent to: HANDSTAND – The Appeal for Marshall Janson, PO Box 15, St Columb TR9 6WE. For further information please visit www.handstand.org.uk or contact Gerry Reilly at: