The Wilson family: creating a legacy like no other

Sarah Wilson is a perfect example of the difference it makes to a small charity like ours when someone who understands the impact of what we do is able to share that experience with others.

Paul and Sarah Wilson married in 2006 and have four young daughters; Poppy, Annabelle, Holly and Georgie.  In January 2016, when their youngest was just six months old, Paul was diagnosed with non-Hodgkins Lymphoma.

Sixteen months later, following extensive treatment, the couple were devastated to be told that Paul’s condition was terminal, and it was at this stage that Sarah got in touch with Daisy’s Dream. She wanted to know how they could prepare their girls for this most difficult and uncertain of times.

 

I first contacted Daisy’s Dream when I was told that my husband only had two weeks to live. My priority was my children; how should I tell them that Daddy is dying and isn’t going to live much longer. As unimaginable and fearful as this felt, Daisy’s Dream guided me gently through it and continued to support us after Paul died.

 

Sadly, just two weeks after learning that his condition was terminal, Paul died at home with Sarah and his four girls by his side. He was 41 years old.

Sarah and her family continued to be supported by us following Paul’s death; we work individually with the girls, and also worked with them at our group events - where they were able to meet other families who were also coping with bereavement. 

It was at one of these group events that Sarah and her daughters were inspired to get involved, and they have been fundraising for our work tirelessly ever since.

 

Fundraising for this incredible charity is imperative. Knowing that they were offering my children indispensable and specialised support at a crucial time, when I felt overwhelmed and didn’t always have the strength to, meant that I gave myself more time to grieve.

 

In just one year, Sarah and her family have raised a staggering £44,000 for Daisy’s Dream.  In addition to donating the collection from Paul’s funeral, they have organised a number of fundraising events, ranging from a 6-a-side football competition, through to a Disco for Daddy which saw the girls having a wonderful afternoon of fun with their friends.

In organising these amazing events Sarah has been determined not only to raise as much money as possible, but also to make sure that the associated publicity of her fundraising raises awareness of our work. She is passionate about making sure that other families know that our help is available to them.

To mark the anniversary of Paul’s death, the Wilson’s flagship fundraising event was the spectacular ‘Ball for Paul’ held at the Donnington Valley Hotel. The evening saw 140 family and friends come together to indulge in an evening of dinner and dancing, raising a magnificent £32,153 in the process. Paul and Sarah’s daughters even contributed something each that they had made as a lot for the incredibly successful auction, giving the event a wonderfully personal feel.

Annabelle, aged just 9, was also determined to create her own unique fundraising event. Together with her best friend Lottie, they devised their own mini-triathlon, and raised a whopping £3,420 by cycling 5km, running 2km and swimming 200m.

We are incredibly grateful to Sarah and her wonderful family for everything they have done for Daisy’s Dream over the past 15 months. By sharing their experience so openly, and asking their community to respond, they have raised enough money for us to provide almost 900 therapeutic sessions to children and young people who are facing, or have experienced, the death of someone they love.

An amazing legacy for Paul, we are sure you will agree.