Latest news with #SickChildren'sTrust
Daily Mirror
01-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
Anton du Beke charity hits £250k despite Who Wants to be a Millionaire? gaffe
EXCLUSIVE: Strictly Come Dancing star Anton du Beke generously made up the £15k he lost on ITV's Who Wants To Be A Millionaire? from his own pocket Anton du Beke has thanked the public for their generosity after his fundraising for The Sick Children's Trust hit £250,000. The efforts from the Strictly Come Dancing judge include £15,000 of his own money, donated after he lost the same amount on Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? after getting a question about musicals wrong. In a video for social media, he said he wanted to thank everyone for 'giving so generously' to the charity, which allows parents to stay in a 'home from home' while their seriously ill child receives treatment in a hospital nearby. Over the past two years, Anton, 58, has hosted sell-out golf days and glitzy afternoon tea events in order to raise cash for the cause. He said: 'We've raised over the last couple of years with my golf days and my afternoon teas and my slightly embarrassing moment on Who Wants to Be a Millionaire, we've reached a quarter of a million pounds. So I wanted to say a huge thank you. All that money's going to such a great cause, and I know everyone involved is eternally grateful. Thank you all from the bottom of my heart.' Appearing on the ITV quiz show in February, Anton was asked by host Jeremy Clarkson: 'Which Tony-Award winning musical features a mash-up called Elephant Love Medley?' The options were A) Hairspray, B) Moulin Rouge, C) The Book of Mormon and D) Si,x and despite using his 50/50 lifeline, Anton still got the answer wrong, picking The Book of Mormon over Moulin Rouge. Prior to losing, he pledged that if he'd picked the wrong option and lost the money, he'd make up the £15,000 himself. Anton, who became an ambassador for the charity in 2023, reached the milestone last month when his golf fundraiser at Burhill Golf Club brought in more than £35,000. His efforts have directly funded 6,250 nights of free stays for families going through tough times with a sick child. He added: 'The Sick Children's Trust is an incredible charity doing vital work to support families at the most difficult time in their lives. I've seen firsthand just how much it means to parents to have somewhere safe and supportive to stay when their child is in the hospital. I'm honoured to play a small part in making that possible, and I'll keep dancing, golfing and fundraising for as long as I can.' The charity has ten 'Homes from Home' across the country, supporting more than 3,200 families each year. It costs £40 to support a family for one night. Chief Executive Jane Featherstone said: 'Anton's energy, compassion and unwavering support have blown us away. From his incredible events to his personal donations, he has gone above and beyond to help keep families together during their child's hospital treatment. The difference he has made is truly
Yahoo
15-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Colchester mum to skydive for charity that helped her whilst son was critically ill
A MOTHER is set to skydive to raise money for the charity which helped her family whilst her son was critically ill. Jess Johnson, 32, from Colchester, will jump from 13,000ft on Saturday to raise funds for The Sick Children's Trust. The charity provided her and her former partner, Joe, with a place to stay while their son, Jaxxon, was critically ill at Great Ormond Street Hospital. Jaxxon became unwell at just two weeks old in 2019 when he was suffering from bronchiolitis and respiratory syncytial virus, which can be serious in children. Jaxxon was critically ill at Great Ormond Street Hospital (Image: The Sick Children's Trust) It led to Jaxxon suffering from a collapsed lung and a bleed on the brain. He was placed on life support at Great Ormond Street Hospital, and the Sick Children's Trust provided the family with accommodation at their Rainbow House, just minutes from Jaxxon's ward. Ms Johnson said she is nervous about the 13,000ft skydive but is keen to raise as much money as she can for the charity which helped her when she had nowhere to go. She said: 'I can't thank The Sick Children's Trust enough. "I can't lie, I was terrified about the skydive to begin with, and my nerves have been a mess. "But now we're getting closer to the date, I'm so excited and cannot wait to be up in the sky. Jaxxon is now thriving (Image: The Sick Children's Trust) "We stayed at the Rainbow House for five days and honestly, we couldn't have afforded to stay in London without that support, especially over Christmas. "There was even a Christmas dinner cooked by volunteers and cookies we could bring back to Jaxxon's older brother Roman. "That meant everything." A Just Giving page has been set up to support Jessica's skydive, and donations can be made via Jaxxon, now five, is thriving despite some ongoing health challenges. Ms Johnson said: "He's the cheekiest, smartest little boy, and he loves to tell people his story. Jess Johnson with her dad Rob (Image: The Sick Children's Trust) "He even stood in the school playground collecting donations for my skydive." Jess will be joined on the jump by her 55-year-old dad, Rob, a skydiving enthusiast. She said: "He's absolutely over the moon. "He's been trying to get me to do this for years." The funds raised will go directly to The Sick Children's Trust to help provide more families with a warm, welcoming place to stay when their child is seriously ill in hospital.
Leader Live
10-05-2025
- Health
- Leader Live
Taylor Swift concert a 'dream' for girl after hospital stay
Laura Makin's daughter, 17-year-old Keisha, spent more than six months receiving care at the Great North Children's Hospital in Newcastle. She was diagnosed with a rare immune condition and needed a bone marrow transplant, being transferred from Liverpool's Alder Hey Children's Hospital in December 2023. Originally treated at Alder Hey Children's Hospital in Liverpool, Keisha was transferred to Newcastle's Royal Victoria Infirmary after a series of increasingly complex health issues, including repeated infections, bronchiectasis, and a T-cell immunodeficiency, which severely weakened her immune system. She remained in Newcastle until June 2024. Keisha (centre) with younger sister Lili Mai, dad Ross and mum Laura (Image: Laura Makin) The family, from Flint, more than 200 miles away from the hospital, faced the bleak prospect of being separated. However, the Sick Children's Trust allowed mum Laura to stay at nearby Crawford House, a "home from home", where she would be just minutes away from her daughter's bedside. Laura said: "Keisha's condition was far more serious than we initially realised. "She needed intensive treatment and a bone marrow transplant – and we had no idea how long we'd be in Newcastle. "Crawford House became a lifeline. "Without it, I wouldn't have been able to stay with her through those terrifying months. "I honestly don't know how we'd have coped." Keisha spent Christmas and her 16th birthday in hospital, followed by a month in isolation while preparing for her transplant. However, the nearby "home from home" allowed Laura to rest and cook meals nearby, just a stone's throw from the hospital. Just weeks after leaving the hospital, Keisha was able to attend Taylor Swift's Eras tour concert at Anfield, something she had been "dreaming about" during her treatment. Laura said: "We booked those tickets long before we knew she'd need a transplant. "We didn't know if she'd be well enough, but she was determined to go. "When her doctors signed her off for weekend leave, we were overjoyed. "It was her first time seeing our dogs in six months, and the emotion of that, combined with the concert, was overwhelming. "It felt like we were finally getting a piece of our lives back." A delighted Keisha at Anfield for the Taylor Swift concert after doctors gave her the green light to attend (Image: Laura Makin) Keisha added: "Getting to see Taylor Swift after everything I'd been through felt like a dream. "I still had a lot of challenges ahead, but just being able to leave hospital, be with my family, and do something normal made such a difference. "Crawford House helped make that possible." The Sick Children's Trust has been supporting families like Keisha's for more than 40 years, providing "homes from home" for parents with seriously ill children in the hospital. The charity helps keep families together when they need it most. Laura said: "Crawford House wasn't just a place to sleep – it gave us space to breathe. "The Sick Children's Trust helped hold our family together during the hardest time of our lives. "We will never forget what they did for us."
