Christmas will be tough for everyone this year, but it’s especially hard for vulnerable and isolated families caring for children with incurable and life-limiting conditions, who don’t know how many Christmas’s they have left with their child.
With the support of Patrons Holly Willoughby and Peter Andre, and Ambassador Mason Mount, we are appealing for donations so that we can support more families caring for a seriously ill child so they get the support they need and can treasure precious time together.
Our Patron Simon Cowell has kicked the campaign off by making a fantastic personal donation.
M&S Food is generously supporting the ‘Christmas Together Appeal’ by matching donations, for the first £50,000 raised, which means we can reach twice as many families.
Holly Willoughby, Peter Andre and Mason Mount have recorded special ‘Christmas Together Appeal’ messages, asking the public to support seriously ill children and families. The films tell the story of Alfie and his family, and their devastating experience of hearing their son’s diagnosis and their struggle to get the right support.
There are 99,000 children and young people with life-limiting conditions in the UK and the number has doubled in the last 20 years. We want to support the growing number of families caring for seriously ill children like Alfie, so they don’t struggle alone, and instead can treasure precious time together.
We were told this devastating news over the phone and were left to deal with the diagnosis alone. No family should go through what we went through.
Kieron, Alfie's Dad
Last month, mid-fielder for Premier League Football club Chelsea and England team player, Mason Mount, made a surprise Zoom visit to Alfie and his family, spending precious moments together.
Mason said: “Alfie’s family and tens of thousands of others like him will be isolated and alone this Christmas and need your help. I was shocked when Kieron told me that him and his family had to wait a year for a diagnosis, they were left feeling devastated.” Patron Peter Andre shares how the family were left to cope: “Reeling from the devastating diagnosis, Kieron and his family were given no help, support or guidance and were left completely on their own to come to terms with the knowledge that their child’s life would be limited.”
In her film, Together for Short Lives’ Patron Holly Willoughby appeals to the public to help families like Alfie’s this Christmas:
Together for Short Lives cannot save a child’s life. But with your support we can save a family from a lifetime of suffering. By supporting our Christmas Together Appeal you can help families like Alfie’s to treasure every moment they have together. Text ALFIE 10 or the amount of your choice to 70450.
Holly Willoughby
