OM Maisie Macdonald has raised over £2,000 towards Alopecia research

OM Maisie Macdonald (2017-2019; Portway) has run 5km every day in June to raise money and awareness for Alopecia research. Overall, Maisie raised an amazing £2,398!

Maisie took on the fundraiser challenge on behalf of Alopecia UK, a charity which works to improve the lives of those affected by Alopecia. This is a cause which is close to Maisie’s heart as she has suffered with Alopecia from the age of 12, and her condition has now developed into Alopecia Universalis, which causes all of her hair to fall out. Maisie wanted to take on this fundraising challenge to spread awareness of Alopecia and educate others about the psychological impact it can have. She said that, “losing your hair is like losing a part of your identity and that can feel very sad and overwhelming. Raising money for Alopecia UK through my fundraiser will allow more research to be done to look into the treatments and the possible ways to make living with Alopecia less distressing.” 

Maisie had a lot of support from her former Millfield House, Portway, when she carried out her fundraiser. Maisie remained in contact with her Houseparents after leaving school and they decided to get Portway House involved with the daily 5km runs to help raise money and awareness.  

Maisie came to Millfield for Sixth Form on a hockey scholarship. She took A-levels in Psychology, Biology and Geography, alongside playing in the Millfield 1st Team Hockey. We asked Maisie about her favourite memories from her time at Millfield, and it was wonderful to hear her say that, “I will always hold all my Millfield memories very close to my heart. Without Portway, my experience would not have been the same and it’s lovely to know that their support is still there and always will be!”

After leaving Millfield, Maisie had a gap year and took part in a charity project building housing in Fiji and teaching the local children. She then went on to travel around New Zealand and Australia. She has just finished her first year at Cardiff University, studying Social Science, where she continues to play hockey; she has received a huge amount of support from her teammates who have joined her daily runs. 

After achieving her goal of running 5km every day in June, Maisie has raised an incredible £2,398 towards helping others with Alopecia. It was inspiring to hear her say that she is “so proud of the money that has been raised for Alopecia UK. I have had so much support for opening up about my personal experiences with Alopecia and I am extremely happy to share my story to raise awareness and help others who are suffering in some way.”

A huge well done to Maisie (pictured on the left in the photo) for this inspiring achievement!