Team Giddo

Mandy is Jordan and Bethany’s mum and founder of the charity. The charity was founded in memory of her son Jordan, who passed away in 2017 from Ewing’s sarcoma aged just 18. Before that he had been diagnosed with HLH, a rare blood disease, and underwent extensive treatment for it. It is thought that the Ewing’s sarcoma developed as a result of all the treatment he had endured.

Jordan completed their family, bringing so much joy into their lives. He was quick-witted, funny and above all kind to others. His smile lit up a room and he faced everything that was thrown at him with a smile on his face. It is because of his selfless attitude and caring nature that Giddo’s Gift was created.

Mandy qualified as a registered general nurse in 1989 and has spent most of her career in adult urology nursing, working full time as a Urology Nurse Practitioner at the Wrexham Maelor Hospital. Her nursing skills and knowledge were invaluable in caring for and understanding Jordan’s disease, and she brings her knowledge of cancer treatment and first-hand knowledge of the needs of teenagers with cancer to the charity. She is committed to aiding research and awareness into childhood cancer.

During Jordan’s long illness Mandy felt there was little support for teenagers and young people, who at a time when they wanted to be out with friends were spending long periods in hospital with nothing to look forward to. She set up the charity to bring a smile to teenagers and young people as they battle cancer.

Bethany is three years older than her little brother Jordan. They were always close and spent a lot of time together. She supported him throughout his battle and donated her bone marrow for his transplant, which was successful. He then had four years in which they partied and laughed together, making wonderful memories.

The light went out of her life the day he gained his angel wings. She will always be proud to be his sister, as Jordan always wanted to help others. Beth is enthusiastic about carrying on his legacy, and as the youngest trustee she brings a youthful understanding to the board.

She works full time as a personal nanny, giving her free time to the charity. She supports her mum, the chair, and has an active role dealing with the applications we receive for grants, gifts and wishes.

Joanne is a pharmacy technician and has worked in pharmacy for over 20 years. For the past 15 years her role has been in bookkeeping and administration, at an independent pharmacy and more recently for a small family-run company in the building industry.

Joanne is happily married to David and they have two grown-up sons. She has been a close friend of Mandy for more than 40 years and a proud godmother to Jordan. Both families have shared many important family events and outings over the years.

As a trustee Joanne is privileged to help keep Jordan’s memory alive by doing what he would have wanted, which is to always help others. She believes that being part of Giddo’s Gift is a fitting and important tribute to Jordan.

Steph works full time as a teaching assistant in a local school.

Steph first met Mandy when Jordan played football with her son Ieuan, and the boys became very close friends. Jordan always had a smile on his face and brought so much joy to everyone. Steph has fond memories of Jordan and Ieuan spending a lot of time together, always playing about and filling the house with laughter.

Steph jumped at the offer to become a trustee. She had seen Jordan grow up as a lovely, kind person who always thought of others before himself, and becoming a trustee gave her the chance to support Mandy and her family to create a lasting legacy for Jordan, and to raise funds and publicity for other young people and families affected by this awful illness.

Steph has a can-do attitude and excellent organisational skills. She helps with our many fundraising events, and organises the distribution and collection of charity collection boxes to a growing number of local businesses.

My daughter has recently been through the cancer journey, and we learnt about Giddo’s Gift through our social worker. Giddo’s allowed Amber to smile when times were tough, surprising her with her dream Lego and an amazing Christmas bag. They also gave us as a family an amazing, stress-free getaway from hospital stays, which was really important.

I wanted to get involved with Team Giddo to give back, and to give other families what they gave to mine. During the hardest times they put a smile on my daughter’s face, as well as her sister’s and mine.

I can’t wait to help promote and deliver Giddo’s events and raise awareness of what Giddo’s does for children and young people going through cancer. I hope my lived experience will help when thinking of new fundraising events, and in being a voice for children and young adults in what they need during their cancer journey.

In my free time I love to run and keep fit. I have completed eight marathons, including London three times, and we love days out and theatre trips as a family.

Now that two of my three sons have left home (finally!) I have time to be involved in this charity, which means such a lot to my family.

I’ve watched this amazing charity put smiles on the faces of teenagers and their families living with cancer. It’s incredible to see how people from our local community give their time and continuing commitment to show their love for Jordan and their passion for this important cause.

I have a fairly wide network of contacts across large organisations after many years in the public sector, which I hope will help raise the charity’s profile and bring in much-needed regular funding.

I live and work in Flintshire as a service manager for Flintshire Social Services, although I am counting down to retirement! I have three sons and two needy little dogs whom I love dearly. Jordan was a regular visitor to our house when the boys were children. He and my son Alex were always up to mischief and as thick as thieves.

My journey with Giddo’s Gift started years ago when I was working as a journalist. Our paper covered a lot of Giddo’s story, and I was always moved by the charity’s mission and the impact it had on young people battling cancer. Today I have the privilege of being directly involved in helping Giddo’s Gift grow.

What I love most about the role is the variety. No two days are the same! Whether I’m attending events, creating social media reels, sorting out meaningful gifts for young people with cancer, or collecting data to shape future plans, every part of my job is driven by a commitment to making a difference.

But for me it’s about the people. Being part of Team Giddo means working alongside passionate, dedicated people who share a vision of spreading kindness, support and hope, and it warms my heart to see great people come together to honour the memory of such a special young man.

My goal for Giddo’s Gift is simple: to see it grow, to build our incredible team, and to make waves!