Published: Friday, 30th November, 2007 09:00
Emotional ride to the heart of Brazil's children
By Jamie MacDonald
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Julie and her fellow fundraisers gather at the famous statue of Christ the Redeemer in Rio.
LIKE the roads she cycled along, Alloa florist Julie Duncan’s trip to Brazil was full of ups and downs.
Julie has just returned from a 300km cycle through scorching South American countryside to raise funds for children’s charity CLIC Sargent – the charity helping children with cancer and leukaemia.
It was an emotional journey as Julie – who owns The Florist on Alloa’s High Street – decided to take on the challenge in memory of her eldest son, Michael Rankin, who died due to leukaemia 20 years ago aged just 14 months.
In addition to all the pedalling, Julie also helped at the Saint Teresa Home for children suffering from the illnesses.
She told the Advertiser, “It was an emotional and physical rollercoaster.
“I managed to do all bar about 10 or 15 miles of the cycling and I’m totally amazed at myself for doing that.
“It was all up and down hill, and some of them were the size of Ben Nevis, but cycling was an excellent way to see the real life Brazil.”
The poverty in Brazil means that many children suffering from cancer or leukaemia never find out they have the illness.
At the local home, Julie and the other volunteers helped out by painting the walls and working on a playroom.
Julie said, “Being in such a poor area, the Saint Teresa Home is like a wee oasis.
“One wee boy there already had his death certificate signed and he was lying there ill just waiting to die.
“Most of the kids in favelas – the slums – usually are only diagnosed after they die.
“It was strange as it was upsetting but worthwhile at the same time. It’s funny how you make a difference with just a coat of paint.”
Even though Julie was expecting to see poverty, she was still shocked at the lives people live in the country.
She said, “In an area about the size of Sauchie, you had 250,000 people living in hovels.
“Gangs run the areas and it breaks your heart to see little kids trying to provide for their families.
“It’s so poor you can’t prepare yourself for it, but it is written everywhere.”
Another reason behind Julie picking Brazil was that the country was her grandfather’s home.
She went on, “The scenery changed every few minutes when you were out of the city, and I wondered why he ever left such a beautiful country.
“It was great to see and find out some of his story, though.”
The massive cycle may have been exceptionally hard work in several different ways but Julie is delighted to have completed the course and has returned home grateful for her life in the western world.
Julie addeid, “I’m definitely glad I have done it. I think it has refreshed my views on some things.
“When you see how happy people are with what they’ve got it makes you less tolerant of people here who are ungrateful about our lifestyles.
“People here complain about what is for their dinner, but in Brazil you see children raking in bins for scraps of food. We should appreciate what we have.”
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