A mother and daughter who have benefited from the Forget Me Not Children’s Hospice were on hand to thank fundraisers for reaching a marvellous milestone.
After more than 10 years of hard work, the Fixby Friends fundraising group has amassed an amazing £100,000 for the hospice at Bradley.
Young mum Emma Harwood and daughter Shalome, who has just celebrated her 1st birthday, joined the jubilant fundraisers and gave them an insight into the valuable work they help to support.
Emma, of Quarmby, said: “We were told at 20 weeks that Shalome had severe brain abnormalities and her life was likely to be ‘incompatible’ outside the womb. When you receive that kind of news you’re unsure what to do and where to turn, but then we found out about the amazing support available at Forget Me Not.
“On November 9, 2015, Shalome defied the odds, surviving the birth with little fight for life needed. Two hours later, we had arrived at the hospice. We spent a full week at Russell House receiving respite care and making memories which will last a lifetime.
“Shalome is doing great and having Forget Me Not Children’s Hospice there for us is amazing. They support us with home visits, overnight stays, I go along to the parents’ coffee mornings and take Shalome with me to the parent and baby group. They’re just a fantastic support for our whole family.”
Fixby Friends, formed in 2006, have held more than 50 fundraising events over the past decade and have given countless hours of support to the charity – staging everything from afternoon teas and themed dinners to casino nights and pig races.
Diane Dutton, of Fixby Friends, said: “Words don’t describe how delighted we are to have reached the £100,000 milestone – a figure we would never have even contemplated aiming for when we first set up.
“We are thrilled to know that our fundraising is helping local children and families and it has been an amazing journey for us all.”
She said: “We currently have nine members and have seen some people come and go throughout the years but we couldn’t have reached our target without the fabulous support of our friends and family. We would like to say a big thank you to everyone who has helped us reach this figure.”
Lynsey Marshall, community fundraiser at the charity, thanked the Fixby Friends for their “amazing” support and added: “Shalome’s story really drives home the invaluable work that our care team offers to families across West Yorkshire.”
The hospice supports 240 local children with life-shortening conditions and their families. It costs £3.8m each year to run the charity. Just 6% comes from Government funding.
