A POPULAR Stroud artist whose work can often be seen gracing walls, posters and books all over the county has launched a campaign to help give the children’s hospital that looked after her chronically ill daughter a very special thank you gift.
Artist Rachel Peglar is hoping to raise £1,000 in order to buy Mrs Twitcher, one of the five hares that Rachel designed for the Cotswold AONB Hare Trail this year.
If successful Rachel hopes to be able give the colourfully painted five foot tall hare to the children's centre at Gloucestershire Royal Hospital to thank them for the 19 years of care they have provided for her daughter Molly.
Rachel Pegler with Mrs Twitcher
“Molly was a very poorly baby,” Rachel explained. “Most of her time was spent in the hospital with recurrent chest infections.”
At just 6 weeks Molly needed to be cared for in an oxygen tent and it was then that doctors discovered that she had two heart defects.
Aged four months she had surgery for an inguinal hernia and over the years that followed she was in and out of hospital for numerous operations and emergencies.
“At 13 months she had pneumonia, she was in an oxygen tent again and I had never been so scared in my life,” said Rachel.
“No one could understand why she was always so poorly and could never recover from a simple cold.”
Rachel with Molly, they hope to raise funds to buy the hare and donate her to the children's centre at Gloucestershire Royal Hospital
Finally aged 14 years Molly was diagnosed with hypopituitarism, a very rare condition that is thought to only affect between 300 and 455 people in a million.
"Her pituitary gland does not send signals to her glandular system," Rachel said. "Apart from no thyroid function and growth hormone Molly was found to have very little adrenal gland production and that's life-threatening - people need that to make cortisol without which people eventually go in to a coma and die.
"Molly slept so heavily when she was ill and every night they have said she was probably going in to a comatose state."
Molly, Rachel and Made in Stroud owner Clare Honeyfield with Doodle for Molly which inspired the colourful hare's design
Although Molly’s body coped without these hormones for all of these years, it is a miracle she survived, but she is now 19 and Molly's mum is keen to thank everyone who has supported Molly during some really difficult times.
The stunning hare's design is based on the front cover design of a Doodle for Molly a book which Rachel illustrated while her daughter was in hospital many years ago.
"The happy night owl represents the Cotswolds of the night and is an acknowledgement to all of the people in our area who work overnight to keep us all going," Rachel explained.
"As a family we have had so much experience of needing medical help through the night over the years, and everyone has been so helpful, happy and warm when we needed them most."
Lucky bidders could win one of the stunning hares from this year's trail, a selectionshown here with organiser Florence Beetlestone
Mrs Twitcher is currently up for auction along with over a hundred beautiful hares that were displayed around the Cotswolds over the summer.
Illustrator Rachel hopes that she will be able to raise enough money through her crowd funder to purchase the beautifully decorated hare and make her permanent home at the children's centre at Gloucestershire Royal Hospital.
"We hope that Mrs Twitcher will be able to be a welcome distraction for the poorly children during their stay in the hospital," Rachel said.
"Molly transfers to adult care this year so this will be a fitting thank you to everyone who has looked after her and supported our family there.
Art lovers and hare fans can bid on the hand-painted hares, springers and leverets via an online auction which opened last Friday.
Those interested in snapping up their own individually designed and hand decorated sculpture from this year's trail have until Friday, October 5 to do so.
"Please help us settle Mrs Twitcher into her final home," Rachel said. "Any money left over from our fundraiser will be donated to The Pied Piper Appeal."
The Pied Piper Appeal is the leading children's charity in Gloucestershire which works hard to make a difference to the lives of sick and disabled children in the county.
To support Molly and her mum Rachel's appeal visit justgiving.com/crowdfunding/rachel-pegler
For more details about the Cotswold AONB Hare Trail and the hare auction go to cotswoldsharetrail.org.uk
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