Loving mother raises £1,001 in memory of her beloved son
Jannine lost her son Adam to depression but she’s keeping his memory alive and supporting others who may be struggling by taking on challenge events in support of SANE.
Our Star Fundraiser article today is about a loving mother, Jannine Bowtell, who sadly lost her son just four years ago. In her own words: “Today is 10 February 2021. For me, a day of mixed emotions; overwhelming sadness that Adam is no longer here, but an enormous amount of happiness as I remember the day Adam was born, he was just perfect! This would be his 30th birthday.”
At the time of his passing, Jannine asked for donations in memory of Adam to her family and friends. She raised the astonishing amount of £5,000 to help other people who battled with their mental illness. SANE was her chosen charity and we made sure the gift was used exactly for that. At that time, SANE helpline was operated from our offices and we were able to use the donation to train five new volunteers to help with answering the phone and offering support to anyone who called for help.
In March 2021, Jannine decided to raise more funds to help SANE’s work. She took on the challenge of cycling virtually from Land’s End to John O’Groats in memory of Adam, to celebrate what would have been his 30th birthday.
The need to talk
According to Jannine: “2020 has been such a hard year for everyone. I cannot imagine not having my family or my friends to talk to when I am struggling but I know this isn’t always an option for everyone – there are people who have no support or that need to talk to someone outside of their immediate circle.”
Jannine continues: “I aim to complete the distance, 1,083 miles, in approximately 28 days and hope to again raise some funds for SANE. I will think about my lovely boy as I spin away the miles and I am sure he will be looking down encouraging me all the way.”
So Jannine posted her daily mileage on Facebook, Instagram and on her fundraising page. She raised an amazing £1,001!
We asked Jannine to tell us the harder and the best times she could remember during completing the distance. Here is what she had to say: “The hardest bit was getting on my bike no matter how I felt. I suffer with PTSD and have very interrupted sleep so the last thing I felt up to when I was exhausted is sitting on a bike for miles on end. But I did it and feel very proud!” We are proud of you too Jannine!
Providing a listening ear
And in Janinne’s words: “I think the best moment was definitely my final ride that I had with my friend. It was a lovely sunny day and we just nattered away the miles. We then opened a bottle of fizz to celebrate. What a great way to end the challenge.” Cheers to Jannine, for her amazing feat!
She mentioned on her fundraising page:
SANE works to improve the quality of life for anyone affected by mental illness. They provide that listening ear for those needing to talk. SANE depends on donations and goodwill so that it can continue its vital work.
Not many people might know that SANE is independent of Government funding. Donations are instrumental in ensuring our services are available to those who need us the most.
We would like to say a huge thanks to Jannine and everyone who contributed towards her fundraising.
If you would like to donate towards her online fundraising page, there is still time.
If you’ve been inspired by Jannine then take a look at our Challenge Events and get involved!
