52 Lives

#77 Four children

Request: Donations / Grocery vouchers / Christmas presents

This week, 52 Lives would like to help 4 children going through the toughest time of their lives.

The children live in the UK, but for privacy reasons we can’t give their location and have changed their names.

The children, Caden (aged 8), Kelly (9), Daniel (14) and Eve (16), tragically lost their mum last month. She fell ill one evening, and her daughter, Eve, sat with her until 1.30am. Eve noticed a black spot appearing on her mum’s nose. Not thinking it was important, she went to bed. When she checked on her mum the next morning, she found her semi-conscious with her body turning black. Eve called her grandma, who called an ambulance. The mum was taken to hospital but died just 30 minutes later. She had lupus, but the cause of death is still being determined. Doctors believe she died from septicaemia brought on by bacterial meningitis. She was just 46 years old.

In the past few weeks, the children have been split up – the two youngest, Caden and Kelly, have gone to live with their dad and his partner. And the 2 eldest have remained at home. The council are helping them with housing costs, and their biological father will be coming to live with them. He is living on benefits at the moment, but they currently only cover him. So in the short term, they are struggling. They have applied for a Crisis Grant, so should hopefully be receiving more support soon.

These 4 young people are not only having to get used to a life without their mum, but also a life without each other. Their whole world has fallen apart. We can't change this dreadful situation they find themselves in, but hopefully we can help them in some small way, and try to bring a little bit of joy into their lives.

What We Need

1. Donations - A close friend of the family has set up a fundraising page to help send the children on holiday together to Centerparcs. If you would like to make a donation towards this, please click on the link below. Any funds over and above what they need for the holiday will be used to pay for winter clothing, school trips and so forth.

2. Groceries – Money is very tight, especially in the short term, so gift cards to help pay for food would make a big difference to their life. To buy a gift card, please click the link below. Alternatively, you can buy a gift card in a supermarket and send it to the PO Box address below.

3. Christmas presents - The first Christmas without their mum is going to be difficult for these children. We would love for them to be able to buy a few special things to enjoy. Gift cards for stores like ToysRus, Amazon or Argos will help them buy Christmas presents for each other. If you would like to help with this, please click one of the links below or post a gift card to the PO Box below.. 

Make a Donation

Buy a Tesco gift card

Buy a ToysRus gift card

Buy an Amazon gift card

Gift cards can be posted to:

52 Lives (Life # 77)
PO Box 329
Hampton, TW12 9DF
UK

eGift Cards  can be emailed to:
jaime@52-lives.org

What We Did

The response from everyone was incredible. Donations, letters and giftcards have been pouring in and reading your beautiful messages of support for these children has warmed my heart every single day.

This is what you did for them

1. £2911 in donations! We received the £750 needed in a matter of hours, yet people carried on giving. Thankyou so much. This will mean they will be able to go on holiday together more than once or they can use the extra funds for future school trips, clothing, or unexpected expenses that crop up from time to time.

2. £655 in gift cards for groceries and gifts, This will make their day to day life a lot easier, and will also mean they will be able to buy some special things for Christmas.

These things won't bring their mum back, but hopefully it will bring them a little bit of happiness in what must be an incredibly difficult time for them.

Thankyou so much to everyone who donated online. There are so many of you, we can't name you all, but what you have done for these children is priceless. And thanks to all of the anonymous people who donated or sent gift cards.

And also to Michelle, Rachel Davies, Coleen Jenkin, Debbie Pattinson, Lynn Taylor, Erica Miller, Clair Fairburn, Nadine Ayley, Lynn Norcott, Maria Duke, Diane Ho, Tracey Denner, Bev Morris, Charlotte Thaine, Luisa lake, Katie Jones , Eileen, Linda Bristow, Jo McGregor, Gareth and Tracy Harri, Sarah Jenkins, Tracey , Lisa Thomas, The Price Family, Karen Hanson , Nicola, Tricia Cassidy, Ann Spowart , Finlay, Anna Waldeck-Evans, Lynda Mackenzi, Helen Dyson, Penny Florey, Lucy Groenwood and The Brooms.