Kirsty Waugh from Tunbridge Wells has turned her own name into a worldwide fundraising mission while continuing treatment for a brain tumour. This 12-year-old girl has tracked down 14,000 people called Kirsty across 50 countries, bringing them together through an online map and a growing collection of photographs. The campaign has raised more than £100,000 for children affected by brain tumours, while also giving Kirsty a way to feel connected to people she has never met. Her search has grown from a personal idea into an international show of support.
How did the 12-year-old find 14,000 Kirstys across 50 countries
Kirsty began the search after being diagnosed with a brain tumour in November 2024. According to BBC, she had started experiencing problems with her eyesight and memory before doctors identified the tumour. Her treatment has included surgery and chemotherapy, turning everyday life into a routine of hospital appointments and long periods of treatment.Instead of allowing the experience to become the only thing that defined her, Kirsty created a project around her name. People named Kirsty, as well as those using the spelling Kirstie, could add themselves to an online map, along with their photographs and locations. The idea allowed her to see how many people shared her name and gave those people a simple way to show their support.The map eventually spread far beyond the UK. BBC reported that Kirsty had found 14,000 namesakes across 50 countries. Her growing collection also became visible at home, where a Wall of Kirsties displays photographs of many of the people who have joined the campaign.
The worldwide search turned Kirsty’s shared name into a source of support
The idea was not only about counting people with the same name. It also gave Kirsty a sense of connection during a difficult period in her life.NiceNews reported that the original idea developed after Kirsty and her family met badminton player Kirsty Gilmour. She became the first Kirsty to join the map, helping inspire the wider search. The project then began attracting people from different parts of the world, with participants adding messages and photographs.Kirstys from countries including Australia, New Zealand, Italy, Malaysia and the United States joined the early stages of the project. As the search expanded, the map became a visual reminder that Kirsty was not facing her treatment experience in isolation.According to NiceNews, her father, Mat Waugh, said that the family wanted the project to show Kirsty that people cared about her and that she was not alone during chemotherapy. The idea also gave supporters an easy way to take part, even if they were not called Kirsty themselves.
Kirsty Waugh with Kirsty Gilmour. Image Credit: Worcester News
How much money Kristy raised before the global name search campaign
The ‘My Name Is Kirsty campaign’ was not her first fundraising effort. Before starting the search for namesakes, Kirsty had already raised a substantial amount for children affected by cancer.NiceNews reported that she had raised more than $158,860 for ChildrenWithCancer UK through a Crochet for Cancer campaign. She had used crochet to make decorative bunting linked to her chemotherapy treatment.The BBC reported that Kirsty had previously raised about £120,000 through crocheting a pennant for each week of an initial course of chemotherapy. Her fundraising continued even as her treatment became longer and more demanding.Her reason for supporting OSCARs Paediatric Brain Tumour Charity was also personal. BBC reported that the charity had previously sent care packages to Kirsty’s two older sisters. The packages included items suited to their individual interests, as well as quilts and soft toys. Kirsty felt the support showed that childhood cancer affects the whole family, not only the child receiving treatment.
Her treatment continued alongside the fundraising
Kirsty’s fundraising has taken place while she has continued to undergo treatment for her own brain tumour. NiceNews reported that she initially prepared decorative banners for each of the first 70 weeks of chemotherapy. Later, another 85 weeks were added to her treatment plan, prompting her to shift her attention towards the ‘My Name Is Kirsty’ project. Her story has therefore developed alongside the practical realities of living with a serious illness at a young age.Her family has described the fundraising as something that gives her a focus beyond hospital visits and treatment. The project has also allowed her to interact with people around the world through their messages and photographs.
Kirsty’s campaign grew into a global fundraising effort
The fundraising has become closely linked with Kirsty’s wider goal of helping children with brain tumours. The money raised through the My Name Is Kirsty campaign supports OSCARs Paediatric Brain Tumour Charity, which funds the work aimed at improving treatments for children. The charity described treatments for childhood brain tumours as underfunded, outdated and difficult for young patients.The project has also created a larger ambition. According to NiceNews, Kirsty and her family hope that the people found through the map could eventually meet in person to challenge the existing record for the largest gathering of people sharing the same name.What began with one 12-year-old looking for people who shared her first name has connected thousands of strangers across dozens of countries, while raising more than £100,000 for a cause closely connected to her own experience.