Post 1: About Anthony

Thank you for showing interest in Anthony and His family!


Anthony is a 3 year old boy who was born with Cerebral Palsy. His family is from Kenya, Africa, but immigrated to the country of South Africa because of the Tribal Wars in their home country, Kenya. Since immigrating, although well educated, Anthony's parents have struggled to find work, and as a result they have struggled to provide Anthony with the health care he needs.


Ok, quick detour, so what is Cerebral Palsy?


Cerebral Palsy (CP) is a disorder that is caused by damage to the brain either before or during childbirth (congenital), or during the first 3 to 5 years of a child's life. Cerebral palsy affects muscle tone, control of movement and coordination, making even simple movements and activities like eating, sitting, standing, controlling your bladder and bowel and breathing rhythmically difficult and sometimes impossible. It can also affect vision, hearing, speech and the ability to learn, communicate and understand. 

The three types of CP are (2011, The Nemours Foundation):

1. spastic cerebral palsy — causes stiffness and movement difficulties
2. athetoid cerebral palsy — leads to involuntary and uncontrolled movements
3. ataxic cerebral palsy — causes a disturbed sense of balance and depth perception

Basically, it's damage to the brain, which results in all sorts of problems! These problems mean that Anthony needs A LOT more than the average child...

• Because he cannot sit or walk by himself, he requires equipment like a Buggy (a child's stroller with extra support and personalized fitting, made specifically to suit the needs of a CP child), a standing frame (to allow him to stand with support), a ring walker (to allow him to walk with support).
• Because his muscles are so tight and weak, and he cannot sit, stand or walk by himself, he needs Physical Therapy (PT) to teach him to do these things and much more.
• Because his learning and functional activities are affected he needs Occupational Therapy (OT) to teach him to eat, dress himself, learn new things etc.
• Because he struggles to speak, chew and swallow he needs Speech Therapy (ST) and input from a Dietician, as well as specific foods.
• In addition, he will need to see a Doctor and other members of the Health Care Team (e.g. a Dentist because of tooth decay from unswallowed saliva).

That's a lot of Health Care! On top of this, Anthony would really benefit from a stimulating home environment, with educational toys and blocks to climb over etc.

So, that's where we come in! Most of you are familiar with TEAM ANTHONY...

Post 2: Team Anthony and how YOU can help!

On 4-5 November 2011, a 12-person team will run 199 miles from Chattanooga to Nashville, TN, to raise money for Anthony and his family. Together, we hope to raise enough money to help Anthony and his family in the following ways:

• Get Anthony on a Health Insurance (Medical Aid) Plan that will provide him with regular, high-quality Therapy and Medical Intervention.
• Provide him with the Equipment he needs.
• Provide him with financing to attend Aurora Stimulation Center, a school for children with CP, where he will receive Physical Therapy, build friendships with peers and learn in a stimulating environment.
• Assistance with Anthony's family's outstanding rent, and to help them buy nutritious and safe food for Anthony to eat, so that he is able to grow and maintain a strong immune system.

If, after all this reading, you are even remotely considering sponsoring Anthony, please watch the following YouTube video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hjZgknabe5o. We also desperately need runners, so if you would like to be a part of the Team Anthony running team, please watch the following YouTube video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C8zcX2dVp5g.

If you would like to commit to supporting Team Anthony in their fundraising efforts, or if you would like to join the team as a runner, please contact us directly by emailing runningforanthony100@gmail.com  or call us at 505-506-0150.  We will send you a "Information Letter and Sponsorship Commitment Form". If you would like to view this document prior to contacting us you can do so, as we have also put it as a resource on this blog page. 

Thank you, it is such a blessing that our Lord constantly gives us the opportunity to help those in need!

Because of Him, 

Jess Trollip (Qualified Physical Therapist and Team Anthony Runner) 

Lindsay White (Missionary and Team Anthony Runner)

Where Do I Send My Support???

If you are able to support Anthony or Team Anthony, please send your money to the following places:

Funds for Anthony:
Please mail a check to    Lakewood Church of Christ

455 South Youngfield Court
Lakewood, CO 80228-2509

PAYEE: Lakewood Church of Christ
MEMO: Running for Anthony



Funds for Team Anthony:
Please mail a check to      East Side Church of Christ
                                         201 31st Street
                                         Snyder, Texas 79549

PAYEE: East Side Church of Christ
MEMO: Running for Anthony

Post 3: An update on Anthony

Hello everyone

I though it would be nice to give you an update on how Anthony is doing. There have been some changes since the video was made in July...

1) Anthony has received his Buggy! It fits him well but he still needs a foot strap. According to his Therapists, Anthony also still needs leg callipers (or something similar), which will have to be paid for privately, and which will cost approximately R2,000 ($250). He also requires a standing frame, but we  are currently unsure of how much this will cost.

2) Anthony has been receiving Physiotherapy for 30 min weekly, from a private rehabilitation hospital. An individual who is a friend of the familys' has been paying for this, at a cost of R150 per session ($18).

3) They are hoping Anthony will be able to start school at Aurora Stimulation Centre, Port Elizabeth, in January 2012. This will cost approximately R9,000 ($1,130) annually, to attend school from 8:00am - 2:00pm, Monday to Friday, excluding holidays. However, this does not include transport. Of course, much funding will be needed if Anthony is going to attend this school.

4) Robinson, Anthony's father, has secured a job and Anthony's family has been able to pay back some of their outstanding rent! They are however still R7,500 ($940) behind.

That is all the news I have heard from them so far. Slowly but surely, things are improving for this family, however, there is still so much we can do! We are looking into the costs involved in getting Anthony health Insurance. Please continue to prayerfully consider how, together, we can help this little boy.

Matthew 25:31-40

    ³¹ “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his glorious throne. ³² All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. ³³ He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.

   ³⁴ “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. ³⁵ For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, ³⁶ I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’

   ³⁷ “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? ³⁸ When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? ³⁹ When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’

   ⁴⁰ “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me."

Tennessee Ragnar Relay

This weekend Team Anthony embarked on our 198 mile run from Chattanooga to Nashville. It was an amazing experience and we learned a lot about "perseverance" :) We took 32 hours to complete the race, starting at 9:30am (although our trip started around 4am) and we are very proud of our team. It was a difficult 32 hours, with very little sleep, a very cold, foggy and dark night and some very steep hills, but we kept encouraging each other and other teams, and conducted ourselves well. We continuously kept Anthony in our minds and prayers, and ended the run proud and relieved, and with no regrets what-so-ever. Thanks to all of you who kept us in your prayers and who supported our team and Anthony. Because of you we were able to unify our team with sweaters, which served as a conversation-starter amongst other teams and opened the door to share Anthony's story, and provided us with fuel for our support vans and bodies :) Together we have raised over $2000 for Anthony, and support is continuing to come in. If you would like to support Anthony, you will still be able to send it to the Lakewood Church of Christ (see the above post), or for those in South Africa, to the Port Elizabeth Church of Christ. All-in-all, it has been an amazing weekend! Lots of lessons were learned, including many spiritual ones, and bonds were formed. We feel so privileged to have been given this opportunity, and want to thank every one of you for being on this journey with us :) We will be putting some photos up soon...

Thank you, because of Him and for His glory, Linds and Jess

Hebrews 12:1-3, 12-13

"Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart...

Therefore, strengthen your feeble arms and weak knees. “Make level paths for your feet,” so that the lame may not be disabled, but rather healed."

These scriptures sum up our journey this weekend and have a whole new, deeper meaning to us now :)