Spread a Smile met Henry, aged 9, and his Mum and Dad, Vicky and James, when Henry was receiving treatment for a rare genetic disorder at Great Ormond Street Hospital (GOSH).
James and his brother Tom are taking on the Isle of Wight Ultra Challenge in aid of Spread a Smile, which will see them walk or jog 106km walk around the island in May.
Vicky, James and Tom said, “Spread a Smile are a really incredible charity providing hospital visits to inpatients, video calls to children at home and special events in partnership with some wonderful companies.
“We’ve had some really dark moments but Spread a Smile have given us some brighter ones. As a family we have personally benefited from the work that they do, from fairies, singers, poets and magicians visiting Henry on the ward to video calls at home during Covid-19 and virtual birthday parties and Christmas boxes delivered by magical members of the team.
“One of the biggest things that we have been grateful for are the events that Spread a Smile organise. Including trips to the theatre to see The Lion king for the girls whilst Henry was in hospital, to days out to London Zoo and Henry’s personal favourite, the Lego events. Days to be with other families in similar situations to take time away from the appointments and treatments and to just smile!
“The other thing that we are always grateful for is how special they make siblings feel too. Siblings can be forgotten about and not everyone thinks about how having a poorly sibling can affect them. Spread a Smile always ensure that every child is thought about and the children never come away from these events empty handed.
“All of these things of course need funding and that’s why we’re fundraising to ensure that other families can be reached and more smiles can be spread.”
Thank you so much to James and Tom for their support and good luck for the challenge. Visit their JustGiving page here.
Please email Tasha at tashamann@spreadasmile.org to find out more about our upcoming fundraising challenges.