Skip to content
  • n
    • Signed in as
    • Contributions
    • Campaigns
    • Organizations
    • Messages n
    • Account settings
    • Support
    • Sign out
  • Sign in
Campaign extended! Our deadline has passed but you can still help. ✕

Your share could raise £30

Before you go, did you know that simply by sharing this campaign, you could help it raise £30? It's an effective way to support the cause.

Share this campaign No thanks

Not ready to contribute just yet?

Subscribe to email updates on progress of this campaign.

Subscribe No thanks
Kerrera Tea Garden Zika-GBS Appeal
SubscribeUnsubscribe
Gallery (4)
£4,285 raised
86% of £5k goal
141 contributions
9 Years running
Contribute
  • LinkedIn
  • Email
  • Link
  • Pin it
  • SubscribeUnsubscribe
  • Embed
By Martin Shields
Personal campaign Keep it all Oban, Scotland, GB Report
  • Story
  • Highlights
  • Updates10
  • Activity142
  • Team3
    • Highlights
    • Updates10
    • Activity142
    • Team3

Martin Shields hasn't added a story.

Twelve times a minute, 24/7 this father gently inflates the black bag that breathes oxygen into his son. If he were to stop for more than a few minutes, the paralysed child dies. This is brutal reality of Guillain-Barre syndrome (GBS), a disease most of us have never even heard of. 

I certainly hadn't heard of it until summer 2006, where out of the blue, while living in Prague, I was left in similar dire straights as the child above except I was lucky to have access some of the best care available. Of course medical care is only one aspect of dealing with the devestating effects of GBS, my support network of friends and family were equally vital to to my lengthy journey of recovery. 

GBS is triggered by infections and affects 100,000 people per annum worldwide of all ages, sexes, religions and races. Right now, the ZIKA virus that is spreading like wildfire across the world, especially Latin America is triggering thousands of extra cases of GBS that are going virtually unnoticed on the global health scale.

The harsh reality for many of the people affected by this current epidemic, like the poor child in the picture, is that they will not have access to the great medical care that we in the UK are used to and in some cases this inevitably leads to death.

Last year I was lucky enough to marry my amazing wife Aideen. Like many of my nearest and dearest friends, we met through the shared love of Brazilian music. For over 15 years we have played in various bands and taken an interest in Brazilian culture from Samba in Rio to the Marcacatu and Forro of Pernambuco in the North East. We managed to fulfil a long term dream for us both this year by visiting Brazil for our honeymoon.

I expected the trip to be full of excitement and adventure but I did not expect to see increasing headlines and warnings about Zika and its link to my rare illness! It seemed like a crazy coincidence and I shrugged it off until my Facebook thread was filled with videos of my old consultant on BBC and SKY News talking about the terrible effects of GBS. After sending him a small message to say what a great job he was doing I found out he was to land in Recife, the epicentre of the epidemic, the day we were leaving. The omens were building! 

It's been ten years since I discovered GBS by accident and one hundred years since Georges Guillain and Jean-Alexandre Barré the two scientists/doctors made the important initial discovery during the Battle of the Somme. For many reasons this year seems like a good year to try to help those who need it the most. There are clinics in Brazil and Columbia that are desperate for financial help and I promise that all monies raised will go to those who can make a difference and not get soaked up by the sometime corrupt nature of the governments that so far have been unable to help their own people.

The worldwide Centenary Symposium on GBS is being held in Glasgow on Friday 24 June 2016, 100 miles south-east from our Tea Garden on Kerrera. As a finale to our fundraising drive, we promise to donate 100% of the profits from the cafe on the previous day and I will announce the total amount raised via Skype live to the meeting in Glasgow. This broadcast will be streamed around the world. In the meantime, we hope that those with a little to spare can make a small donation that will help those most in need.

  • Activity feed
  • Email
This is a preview
✕

Highlights

See all activity142
Show more

Updates

Martin Shields hasn't posted any updates yet.
Newest | Oldest
Show more

Activity

Show more

Meet the team

Do you believe in our cause? Join our team!
Position Total raised
Recent contributions
Show more
Browse View Slideshow Add Hide comments Comments ✕

Uh oh!

Your media gallery is empty. That means you're missing a powerful opportunity to bring attention to your cause.

Add pictures now

(You can add videos, too.)

The media gallery is empty.

Add
Comment Share Delete Set as
Show more

Delete media item?

Delete this item from the media gallery? It will also be deleted from any related story update.

Cancel Delete

Set as ?

The campaign video will appear in social media and email.

The campaign cover picture will appear in social media and email.

The will appear at the top of your campaign page and in social media and email.

Cancel Apply

Reset ?

It won't be used as default in social media and email. The will remain in the media gallery.

It will be removed from the top of your campaign and won't be used as default in social media and email. The will remain in the media gallery.

Cancel Apply

Edit description

Cancel Save

Embed

Embed a campaign widget on your Website or blog with just a few snippets of code.


Help

Embed a campaign widget on your Website or blog with just a few snippets of code.

Include the Loader script on your page once.
Copy to clipboard
Include the Widget code where you want the widget to appear on your page.
Copy to clipboard
Help

Share a link

Send anyone this link to the campaign.
Copy link
Download QR code

Delete update

Delete this story update?

Any pictures or videos will remain in the campaign's media gallery.

Cancel Delete

Delete milestone

Delete this milestone?

Cancel Delete

Share this post

Edit your message

Cancel Save

Report campaign

Report submitted

Thank you. We take reports like yours very seriously. Our goal is to keep the community safe.

Please know that we may contact you for more information, but that we won't notify you personally of our decision. If the campaign remains available within a few days, it's likely that we determined it not to be in violation of our policies.

Thank you. We've already received your previous report. If the campaign remains available within a few days, it's likely that we determined it not to be in violation of our policies.

Tell us about the problem. Please fill in both fields below.

Please fill in both fields above.
Close Cancel Report

Record a video

Upload a video

Nothing grabs attention for your cause like a personal video. Take a minute or two to record one now. Record a short video message of support. Or upload one from your device. You can preview or redo your video before you post it.

Nothing grabs attention for your cause like a personal video. Upload a short video message of support. Upload a short video message of support. Or record one right now.

  • Most effective video length: about a minute.
  • Maximum length: 5 min.
  • You can preview or redo your video before you post it.

Heads up! The existing video will be replaced.

Email your friends

Share this campaign with up to 10 of your friends. We'll send them details of the campaign and your personal message (optional).

Add up to 10 email addresses separated with a comma.

We never share email addresses or send spam.

Join our team

Your endorsement banner

Use your endorsement banner to tell why our cause matters to you. Such personal endorsements are proven to increase campaign contributions. When enabled, your endorsement banner appears at the top of the campaign for everyone who visits a link you shared.

You can always adjust your endorsement from the campaign Share page—even if it's been disabled.

Your message

Tell people why our cause matters to you. Your personal message will encourage others to help. Easy, effective, optional.

Please provide a valid message (500 characters maximum).

Say it in video

Short personal videos by supporters like you are incredibly powerful. Record one right now and you'll help us raise more money. Easy, optional, effective.

Remove video

Add a personal goal

Set a personal fundraising goal. You'll encourage more contributions if you do. And rest easy. There's no obligation to achieve your goal or bad consequences if you don't. Easy, optional, effective.

£ .00
Please enter a valid goal.
Cancel Join our team Update

We have a video!

Video thumbnail

We'd love to show you our campaign video. Want to take a look?

Not now, thanks Yes, definitely
Martin Shields manages the funds for the campaign. The campaign is for a personal cause.

, you're already on the team.

FundRazr
Laser-focused on your fundraising success
  • Personal Fundraising
  • Medical Fundraising
  • Pet Fundraising
  • Accidents and Disasters
  • Memorial Fundraising
  • Success Guide for Individuals
  • About
  • Platform Tour
  • Help
Powered by ConnectionPoint
Start your free campaign
  • Support
  • Terms of Service
  • Privacy Policy
Powered by ConnectionPoint®

Story assist — generating contentworking

To create an engaging campaign story, please answer the questions below. Don't worry about full sentences or grammar—the focus is on providing detailed information. The more details you give, the better the final story will be. Once you submit your answers, a draft story will be generated for you to review and edit as needed.

  1. What is the problem you want to solve?
    Provide a description of the underlying problem or situation you want to improve with funding. Explain why this issue is important and what negative effects it currently has on people, the environment or your community.
  2. What is your solution?
    Describe your plan to address the problem and highlight what makes your approach unique or effective.
  3. How will the funds be used?
    Outline how the money will be allocated to specific programs, resources or services.
  4. How will contributions make a tangible difference?
    Explain the benefits and positive changes resulting from your project being funded. If appropriate, also explain how the lives of beneficiaries will be impacted.
  5. How will you keep supporters involved in your campaign?
    Detail how you will provide updates on progress, share stories on the impact of contributions and keep supporters connected to the project.
    Please answer at least one question to generate a story.
Back

Voila! Check out Story assist's suggestions below. You can edit the content directly or use Story assist to make changes. When everything's to your liking, click the button at the bottom to add the content to your story.

Pro tip Be sure to review all the content. Story assist is smart, but you know your cause best.

Heads up! Ending the session will permanently delete your work.

Story assist — generating contentworking

Check out Story assist's suggestions below. You can edit the content directly or use Story assist to make changes. When you're satisfied, click the button at the bottom to apply the changes to your story.

Pro tip Be sure to review all the content. Story assist is smart, but you know your cause best.

Select entire story?

Do you want Story assist to suggest changes for your entire story? If not, cancel the request and select the portion of the story you want to change.

Cancel Select entire story

Custom prompt for Story assist

Have an idea to improve your story? Simply tell Story assist what to do in everyday language, for example, "Add headlines" or "Optimize text for crowdfunding."

Go
Please provide a prompt (100 characters maximum).
Cancel

Replace all story content?

Replace all your story content? Alternatively, you can copy the content to the clipboard and paste it anywhere.

Cancel
Copy content Replace all story content

Story assist

Disclosure

Before displaying content, please note that the AI-generated output may not always be accurate and could touch on sensitive topics. We recommend proceeding with caution and reviewing all AI-generated content carefully before including it in your story.

By selecting continue, you agree to our Terms of Service regarding the use of AI.

Cancel Continue