Demelza launches Bring Sunshine Christmas Appeal

Supporters are asked to donate so families can step away from the noise of everyday life and 24 hour medical care, to just be together and find the joy that the small, yet unforgettable moments bring.

The appeal is encouraging people to support children with serious or life-limiting conditions and their families in their local community and help them find sunshine in dark times.

Jude’s family, who feature in the appeal, say having the charity’s support means he doesn’t just exist, he lives.

In 2023, Jude went from being a happy, healthy and active nine-year-old, to not being able to walk or talk and needing a ventilator to help him breathe.

Jude fell into a coma, waking up on his 10^th birthday. He then spent 300 days in hospital and his family was finally able to bring him home the week before Christmas that year.

Since then, Demelza has been a lifeline to Jude’s parents Peter and Emma and they say having the support of the charity has given them hope and made them less fearful about the future.

Jude’s family say their lives felt quite dark for a time but they are beginning to find their sunshine again. With Demelza’s support, they are learning to adapt and the team at Demelza helps them find ways to carry on doing all the things Jude, now 12, loves.

For Jude and his family, this is time spent in the hydropool at the hospice in Bobbing or our nurses visiting their home and giving his parents Peter and Emma a moment of calm.

Peter said: “For almost a decade, our lives were full of sunshine. We spent time camping, swimming and cycling, just enjoying being together. When Jude’s little sister Elodie came along, our family felt complete.

“Demelza has given us the confidence to be more like the family we were before. We’ve been to theme parks, stayed in hotels, been to Silverstone as Jude loves F1 and we’ve even been camping again.

“The most important thing for us is that Jude doesn’t just exist, he lives, and the support from Demelza enables that.

“Thanks to Demelza, our sunshine this Christmas will be simply being together as a family.

“Please support their sunshine appeal and help support other families just like mine this Christmas.”

The Bring Sunshine Christmas Appeal aims to raise £73,000. Every penny donated will help bring sunshine to the lives of children with serious or life-limiting conditions, and their families.

Demelza’s Deputy CEO Hayley Richardson said: “Life felt quite dark for Jude’s family, but with Demelza’s support, they are finding their sunshine again.

“Our Bring Sunshine Christmas Appeal is raising vital funds to help create unforgettable moments for families like Jude’s.

“Please support our appeal this Christmas - every donation, no matter how small, has a big impact on the lives of the children and families we support and will help bring sunshine this Christmas.”

Bring the sunshine this Christmas and support your local children’s hospice by donating to our appeal.