Craig Phillips, TV DIY expert and first ever Big Brother winner, and Laura Sheriff visited Helen & Douglas House on 1st February, following their decision to ask their wedding guests to donate money to Helen & Douglas House rather than give gifts. They got married on 9th February and have already raised £4,837 for the charity on their Just Giving page and are also planning the auction Laura’s dress after the wedding.
They decided to help Helen & Douglas House because it had such a powerful impact on Laura’s life. Her brother Daniel was diagnosed with a brain tumour shortly after he was born in the early 80’s. Helen House had not long been open when it appeared on the national news making her parents aware of the hospice.
This ties in with Random Acts of Kindness Day on 17th February which is a celebration of the special things people do for others. Helen & Douglas House has received many acts of kindness from donations from small children who have donated all their pocket money through to people staying in on New Year’s Eve and donating the money they would have spent if they went out. People asking for donations to Helen & Douglas House rather than wedding gifts is another wonderful act of kindness.
Laura said “We really enjoyed our visit and are only too happy to use our wedding to help such an amazing cause. The extraordinary people at Helen & Douglas House gave the most wonderful care, love, professional and emotion support to both my family and my brother Daniel during his short life of just 3 years. Towards the end of Daniel’s life he was in a massive amount of pain and discomfort, as he screamed my parents tried to call the doctor but unfortunately he said there was nothing they could do. In desperation Mum had remembered hearing about Helen House and decided to pick up the phone in a last attempt to get Daniel the relief he so desperately needed.”
“Daniel stayed at Helen House along with my parents until he passed a couple of days later. Craig and I hope that by our support we may be able to help other families with terminally ill children in desperate need. All the money donated will help make many families lives a little more possible in such unbearable times and provide a strong unit of support and love through treatment and beyond.”
Kay Honner from Helen & Douglas House said “It was wonderful to meet Craig and Laura on their visit to the hospice and it is so very kind of them to ask for donations to Helen & Douglas House rather than receive wedding gifts. The money they raise will make a huge difference to the lives of local terminally ill children and their families at Helen House. We rely on these amazing acts of kindness to be able to offer the specialist care our families desperately need.”