Isla Tansey: Thomas Cook backs cancer girl's campaign
A holiday firm has joined a campaign to decorate and hide stones in honour of a seven-year-old girl with terminal spinal cancer.
Isla Tansey has asked people to take selfies when they find the painted rocks and post them on social media. Her parents want the stones to create a "legacy" for Isla, from Hinckley, Leicestershire, after she was told she has just weeks to live. Thomas Cook is now adding the activity at kids' clubs around the world. The travel company said a family had shared the idea at a children's club in Zante, Greece, and it is now being rolled out at other destinations after "a great response". Lynsey Newsome, from Thomas Cook, said: "We are now adding the activity to our clubs in other destinations to show our continued support to such a brave little girl." Hundreds of people have already taken part in the stone decoration, including Australian researchers based in Antarctica. People are asked to paint stones and then hide them. When the rocks are found people are encouraged to post photos online using #islastones - then re-hide them for others to discover. Following an operation to remove a tumour Isla lost the ability to walk and in April she was given just weeks to live. The rock painting campaign has spread across the globe and reached Antarctica at the end of May. Simon and Katherine Tansey, Isla's parents, said the stones will create a "legacy" for her. An "Isla stone", which was actually made of wood because of environmental protections on the frozen continent, was created by the Australian Antarctica Program. Researchers emailed Isla saying: "The team at Mawson research station all send their love and hope the photos bring a smile to Isla's face." Follow BBC East Midlands on Facebook, on Twitter, or on Instagram. Send your story ideas to eastmidsnews@bbc.co.uk.