Please help - holiday of a lifetime (ANDY HARRIES)

[Guest]

Hi

Not Andrew, but his wife Rachel posting using his log in!

I was wondering if anyone knew how we could make the most of our horrid situation...

Andrew is terminally ill. He has been told he probably has 12 months or less, but he is a fighter and has already defied the odds once before when they thought there was no hope.

We are longing to go back to Tobago, preferably for the England cricket tour in April (A loves his cricket) - we are hoping to be able to catch some of the action in Trinidad. We got married out there in 2000, when we stayed in the SeaShell/Plantation Villas with 23 friends and family.

Our story has been well documented in the local and national press, and various fund-raising ventures have been taking place on our behalf. You can read our story on The Sun's website:

[Editor: The Sun article to which Rachel provided a link is no longer available. I have replaced it with a verbatim transcript on this site]

We cannot afford a return trip, so have been gratefully receiving donations, while securing a future for our baby Josh.

We think we'd like to go all inclusive at Coco Reef. We need to be AI incase Andrew is ill for some days and then at least I can eat and be entertained in situ.

Does anyone have any ideas how we can go about getting discounts/support/help with our trip? I have written to Virgin Holidays begging for an upgrade and suggesting that I tell the press anything they offer. It would be amazing if we could travel first class and have an ocean view room for this special holiday. A friend of mine suggested posting here, so I'll leave it with you.

Many thanks for any help you can offer (not financial - I mean emotional - of course!)

Rachel

[Niki Byrne]

Rach, I really hope this works. You, Andrew and Josh deserve this more than anything. When you do go, say hello to the lovely place for me !

Best of luck with everything,

Nik

[Steve Wooler]

Hi Rachel & Andy

Your post really got to me. How tragic. Then I read the article in The Sun. I felt gutted. How can any family be so unlucky? I remember Andy’s post last week, asking the best way to get to Trinidad for the match and how to get match tickets. The tone of his post shows his fighting spirit. Who could have imagined what lay behind those questions?

Well, I’m sure I speak for every reader of myTobago when I wish you both the very best of luck (if that does not sound facetious under the circumstances). You can certainly count on our support to help in every way possible. I’ve started the process by dropping a line to a few contacts, making them aware of your case. I don’t want to embarrass anyone by mentioning names, but suffice it to say that I’m prepared to make your case known to every hotelier on Tobago if necessary.

Those stars at Golden Caribbean have been quick to respond and it’s my very great pleasure to tell you that they would like to offer you two complimentary return flight tickets in Premium Economy from Gatwick to Tobago on 22nd April 2004 – just in time for the England International in Trinidad on 24/25th April.

I am really delighted that Golden Caribbean have responded so quickly and so positively. Well done. They have long been our favoured transport to Tobago and long may it remain so.

I will post further updates as the situation develops, but have also contacted you by email.

p.s. I hope you don’t mind me moving the topic to our General Questions & Comment forum, but feel it will get better exposure there.

[AndyHarries]

We don't know what to say except thank you

We await further news from you, but to be honest the flights is the best news we have had in quite some time and more than we ever could have wished for. I called upstairs to Andrew who was having his afternoon nap and he practically flew down the stairs!

THANK YOU!

A very happy Rachel

[Steve Wooler]

Rachel and Andy

It's the least we can do and if myTobago.info can serve just one useful purpose, then this has got to be it.

As long as you can be a little flexible, I am sure we can create that holiday of a lifetime that you asked for. Funnily enough, now that we've cracked the flights, I see the tickets to the match being the hardest part – so come on Trinis, prove me wrong!

[Tanja Mohammed]

Dear Andy and Rachel

we have read your tragic story and express our sympathy. May we offer our services for transport and tours in Tobago to you. We have contacted several shall we say "sources" and will try to arrange the Cricket of a lifetime for you. As soon as we have further support we will contact you again via the forum.

Best regards and keep your head up
Patrick and Tanja - Yes Tourism

Hi

Not Andrew, but his wife Rachel posting using his log in!

I was wondering if anyone knew how we could make the most of our horrid situation...

Andrew is terminally ill. He has been told he probably has 12 months or less, but he is a fighter and has already defied the odds once before when they thought there was no hope.

We are longing to go back to Tobago, preferably for the England cricket tour in April (A loves his cricket) - we are hoping to be able to catch some of the action in Trinidad. We got married out there in 2000, when we stayed in the SeaShell/Plantation Villas with 23 friends and family.

Our story has been well documented in the local and national press, and various fund-raising ventures have been taking place on our behalf. You can read our story on The Sun's website:

http://www.thesun.co.uk/article/0,,2-2003331523,00.html

We cannot afford a return trip, so have been gratefully receiving donations, while securing a future for our baby Josh.

We think we'd like to go all inclusive at Coco Reef. We need to be AI incase Andrew is ill for some days and then at least I can eat and be entertained in situ.

Does anyone have any ideas how we can go about getting discounts/support/help with our trip? I have written to Virgin Holidays begging for an upgrade and suggesting that I tell the press anything they offer. It would be amazing if we could travel first class and have an ocean view room for this special holiday. A friend of mine suggested posting here, so I'll leave it with you.

Many thanks for any help you can offer (not financial - I mean emotional - of course!)

Rachel

[AndyHarries]

Gosh, thank you so much Tanja and Patrick! We are so, so grateful for your help. We can't tell you how happy you have made us. Andrew is having chemotherapy today/overnight so I phoned him in hospital to tell him the good news. I eagerly await any assistance you can give re. cricket tickets, but we don't expect anything - please understand that.

Thanks again,

Best wishes,

Rachel

[Glyn Kirpalani]

Hi Rachel

It looks as though you have most angles sorted (except Coco Reef as yet?). We shall be pleased to provide for your transportation needs in POS to get you around and to and from the match, once the tickets are sorted out. Please let us (and Yes Tourism who are kindly trying to sort tickets) know if you will require your driver to assist you inside the stadium, or just wait outside - this will be no problem to arrange, but he will need a ticket.

Also, if Coco Reef can't or won't play ball, please let us know if you require alternative accomodation - we should be happy to assist.

Best wishes
Glyn Kirpalani
HolidayinTobago.com

[AndyHarries]

Hi there Glyn

No, no news from Coco Reef as yet, but we know that it's a long shot, and that Steve is trying his absolute best.

Thank you so much for the offer of help with transport to and from the cricket ground. I will get back to you as soon as we hear anything else re. the tickets.

You lot are incredible - we have been so blessed by the kindness and generosity of strangers. I hope no-one else ever has to go through what we have been through/are going through, but if you are, I can guarantee that everyone pulls out the stops for you. Human beings are pretty good on the whole Andrew and I have a little joke: 'It's good this cancer thing, isn't it?!' It's a good way of interpreting the situation.

Thanks again - we'll be in touch,

Rachel

PS Steve - if you read this, Iris has indeed been in touch to confirm the flights. What a lovely lady :

[Steve Wooler]

Hi Andy & Rachel

I’ve had a lovely email from Patrick Dankou of Yes Tourism.

A German couple who own a house on Tobago, but who wish to remain anonymous, contacted Patrick and offered to sponsor your flights from Tobago to Trinidad when you to travel over for the One Day International cricket. Their generosity extends to a third person, so assuming that we can swing the cricket tickets, you will be able to take a companion or “guide” to help smooth the way, so to speak. Patrick will act as liaison and make all arrangements.

It’s a lovely gesture and shows what fabulous people there are around. Patrick mentioned that the couple are visiting Tobago next week, so I assume that they are normally resident in German and must have read about your tragic story in the forum here. So, on behalf of all myTobago readers, may I please offer them a big VIELEN DANK! (my apologies for the bad accent).

[AndyHarries]

We are thrilled with this latest offer! Woweee! Our biggest thanks to the extraordinary couple and thank you, too, to Patrick for his part in it. Oh, and to Steve. See - all I ever seem to do is say thank you, but that's a good thing because it means there are lots of people who have rallied round and supported us. It means so, so much. And you know, I think you can take the credit for keeping Andrew going through the chemotherapy. It's not easy, but he's so pleased with every bit of news we get from here.

Steve, you had told us that the tickets for the cricket may not go on sale until a couple of months before the match. That's good news, I think! I might drop an email to the English Cricket Board to see if there is anything at all they can do. I doubt I'll even hear back, but if you don't ask, and all that.

Blimey - my original post was to ask for help with upgrades, now it looks like we really are going to have the holiday of a lifetime. Yipppeee!

Rachel

[James Blackshaw]

Hi Rachel,

As everyone else is, I have been very moved by your tragic troubles.
If you have difficulty with the tickets through the kind help of yes-tourism
please do make contact. Our company sponsored the tests in Sri Lanka and we have very good contacts with the England team through our colleague Graham Cowdrey (son of Colin). I am sure they would be able to find exactly what you need in the way of tickets.
Please let me know what you need and any other special requirements and I will do my best to sort it out.

regards
James Blackshaw

[AndyHarries]

Thank you James What a great offer - I must admit, we are very worried about getting tickets after all the trouble that everyone has gone to on our behalf... Do you happen to know when the tickets are likely to go on sale? We have a west Indian cricketer living two doors away from us for the summer (he's playing for Somerset) and we asked him to find out more for us, but he hasn't got back to us yet and he's okaying a four-day match for the next few days.

I bet you're enjoying the cricket at the moment. Andrew says there's no better time to be laid up on the sofa when the cricket's on - another thing to be grateful to the cancer for

Thank you once again for your kind offer.

Rachel

PS What's the company? Don't you get a plug?

[Steve Wooler]

The numerous wonderful private emails I have received this past few days indicate how so many readers empathise with Andy and Rachel’s situation. Thank you all.

I confess that helping to spread the word has been very satisfying when it has produced tangible results. However, any hint of smugness has been wiped from my face since the offer by the German couple, and other offers received today.

I asked Rachel to give me a list of things that Andy would like to do in Tobago. The list tells a lot about what sort of people they are, as it was made up of items like: seeing the sun go down in Castara Bay; watching the fisherman pullin’ seine in Stonehaven Bay; to meet Brent Hart, the minister who married them; likewise, to meet Woody of Frankie’s Tours who took them out on their last trip.

Needless to say, all of this will be easy to arrange with Patrick’s help on ground logistics. There were only two tangible items on the list: dinner at the Seahorse Inn, where Andy and Rachel were married and celebrated their wedding dinner, and a sightseeing tour with Hummingbird Helicopters, which they also did during their honeymoon and described as “amazing”.

I am delighted to say that no sooner had my finger hit the “Send” button than I had a wonderful reply from Norma at The Seahorse Inn. They will be delighted to offer a cosy candlelit dinner for Andy and Rachel, right in the lovely little courtyard where they were married. Norma had even taken it a stage further and contacted Brent Hart, who remembers Andy and Rachel and would love to meet them again. He has even offered them a Blessing – either at the Seahorse Inn or wherever/whenever they like.

The Hummingbird Helicopters trip posed more of a problem. The firm used to be based at Crown Point airport and offered sightseeing tours around the island. Trouble is, they moved to Trinidad a year or two ago. What the heck, I thought it worth dropping them a line.

The reply from Captain Anthony Vieira at Hummingbird almost reduced me to tears after everything else. Tony not only remembers Andy and Rachel, but would be delighted to fly over from Trinidad and give them a full helicopter tour of Tobago. I truly don't know what I can say.

And the odd cynics out there wonder why I slave over this site and love Tobago so much!

[AndyHarries]

Hi again Steve

We are, of course, thrilled about Hummingird. I have emaioed him directly to thank him and we are SO EXCITED about everything that's happening at the moment.

I can highly recommend a helicopter trip round the island - it really is a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

We have guests this weekend, so I've been a bit slower than normal at replying (sorry Glynn!), but believe me, we are still SO grateful for all these amazing things that are happening.

You couldn't pick the winning numbers in the lottery for us now, could you?!

Thank you again and again,

Rachel

[Horst Heiser]

Hallo ANDY, hallo Rachel,
You want a breathtaking sundown in Castara ?
Where is that problem ?
WE ARE SHURE, WHOLE CASTARA WILL CELEBRATE THIS FOR YOU !
We can´t speak for Castara, but we know these wonderful people. We will tell them about Your wish. And it will be really hard to stop them.
We can´t promise You the big red ball sinking into the blue sea.
That´s the job of somebody in higher regions.
But, we promise, Cricket (excuse,we will never understand the rules)is one thing, but CASTARA at sundown ?
Wait with Your judgement after that !
The party is arranged. WELCOME IN CASTARA.

Sylvia Hesse + Horst Heiser (part-time-Tobagonians)

[Steve Wooler]

Hi Sylivia + Horst

Good to hear from you guys again. I've emailed you privately to thank you for your post and I'm sure that you DO speak on behalf of most Castarians (if there is such a word). We'll liaise with you nearer the time.

Once again, thanks. It's truly wonderful to see this level of International support working towards a good cause.

[AndyHarries]

Thank you from us too

That's why we love Tobago and are so desperate to go back.

See you in Castara (how good does that sound?!).

Rachel

[Brian Taylor]

Hello Andrew and Rachel!

We where really touched by your story! Friends told us about it. You they emailed with them already…the part time Tobagonians, who will never understand the cricket rules...

Alibaba-Tours is in the happy position to be located in Tobago; in Castara! So we would be happy to arrange THE sunset for you. We can bring you to Castara by car or boat, depending on your condition Andrew! You can have a drink or dinner at the Boathouse Restaurant (a very romantic place)…

And you can meet Woody there, who is a cousin of me! All with our compliments naturally.

Hope to offer you a next little piece to your holiday of a lifetime…

All the best for you and your little family

[Rachel Harries]

Hello (again) Brian!

We know you - you took some of our group fishing three years ago to the day (it's our wedding anniversary tomorrow ). You may remember my mum, my sister (with the mad curly hair), her husband (very broad bloke with blonde hair), the best man (loud!) and my husband (with the broken arm). You all caught a lot of fish and cooked them somewhere, opn a barbecue. They all had a great day (there was a fishing festival or something on in Castara as you arrived back that evening) and still talk about the huge Baracuda (spelling?!) that got away!

Thank you so much for your very kind offer. We'd love to meet up with you again (oh! and Woody too) - we really are going to have the best holiday ever, thanks to the kindness of so many people.

Andrew is thrilled to have 'heard' from you. Thank you for getting in touch.

With very best wishes from both of us

Rachel