A beautician from Tycroes has raised over £1500 for Diabetes UK Cymru with a non-stop nail-a-thon lasting over 24 hours.
This is the third year Lowri Vaughan-Hadley, 31, has staged the challenge. This year she broke her previous record by completing 33 manicures in 26 hours. The event raised a total of £1570, taking her total fundraising for the charity to almost £4500.
Lowri launched her beauty business, Lowri’s Vanity House, in 2015. She was inspired to support the charity in honour of her mother, Michelle Hadley, who was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes when she was just three years old.
She held the first nail-a-thon in 2017 to mark 50 years since Michelle’s diagnosis. It was such a success that it has become an annual event, with Lowri attempting to beat her record for the number of nail sets completed each year.
Lowri said, “Mum has lived with Type 1 diabetes for almost her entire life, and has managed to raise a family and keep her condition stable for many years. There have been tough times but she has always remained so strong and we are all so proud of her.
“This year’s nail-a-thon was great. As well as manicures, we made it bigger and better with stalls from local businesses including a massage therapist, cakes and cupcakes, handmade gifts and hair accessories.
“I extended it to 26 hours as one of my customers pointed out that a marathon is 26 miles, so it was extra tough! But the support and generosity of my friends, family, customers and the local community was incredible. Lots of customers popped in with snacks and drinks and stayed for an hour or so to keep me going. People even stopped by on their way home from nights out to make a donation.
“I had to really push myself but by the end I felt I could have gone on even longer! I want to give a special thank you to my husband, Dale, my mum, my sister, Ffion and my best friend, Lisa, for all staying awake with me.”
Lowri’s dedication to supporting the charity saw her presented with Diabetes UK Cymru’s Inspire Award for Fundraising earlier this year. She already has her sights set on next year’s nail-a-thon.
Lowri continued, “Once I got home we popped open a bottle of fizz and started to plan next year’s event. I want to keep it going as long as I can to support this cause which means so much to me and my family.”
Dai Williams, National Director, Diabetes UK Cymru said, “We couldn’t continue to support the many thousands of people living with diabetes across Wales, and their families, without the hard work and dedication of fundraisers like Lowri.
“We’d like to say a huge thank you to Lowri for going above and beyond, making this year’s event even longer and even more of a challenge, and to everyone who made the event so successful. Here’s to next year!”
