The first time being pregnant for anyone is full of joy and anticipation, but ours slowly turned to anxiety and nerves...

We’d been informed at our 20-week ante-natal scan that the left ventricle of the heart of one of our twins was severely underdeveloped and her aorta was just too small to pump blood around her body. We knew what we were in for, but how can one ever prepare? For a week after the birth, we balanced the overwhelming joy of welcoming our new-borns into the world with the just as overwhelming sorrow of having to say goodbye to Fleur at just four days old. During and after our time with our daughter, East Anglia’s Children’s Hospices (EACH) went above and beyond to help us make memories and we can’t thank them enough for the care they provided during these precious moments with our little girl.

Since then, my wife and I, indebted to the organisation for their  support, have been raising money for EACH through annual summer concerts. EACH provide end of life care to children and support to parents, counselling and pre-birth services.

They are currently running a big appeal, ‘The Nook’, for a new building. The cost of running the hospices for one day is close to an entry-level graduate salary; our contribution goes a mere way to easing the life of another family going through a devastating time.

Between 2011-2018, we have held five concerts and a cinema evening; most recently on 7th July 2018, we welcomed The Rock Choir (the contemporary choir of the UK, famous for performing all genres from opera to hip hop), beatboxers and an array of musical acts and performers to commemorate the work of EACH for families just like our own. In its first year, we sold 300 tickets and raised £45,000. Since then, as news of the initiative has spread, local businesses have jumped on board sponsoring fireworks and entertainment, and the day has become a chance for the community to come together each year to celebrate life, and raise awareness of the invaluable care that EACH provide; without whom, we may never have created memories of Fleur like printed cufflinks.

Over the last seven years, with QBE’s generous matching scheme and donations from the public, we have collectively raised £124,000 for EACH.

We feel truly blessed to be part of the building of a community supporting children with life-threatening illnesses and bereaving families, and to share the memory of our daughter Fleur, who is remembered and missed every day.

Thank you for reading my story. On International Day of Charity, I hope you can take a moment to read the work of East Anglia’s Children’s Hospices and support their appeal, ‘The Nook’.