Super Uncle Raises £1000 for Sick Children's Charity

The uncle of a little boy who underwent brain surgery when he was just one-year-old has raised £1000 for the charity that looked after his family when he needed treatment almost three hours away from home.

Matt Sellers, 21 from Manchester, recently took on the skies as he jumped out of a plane for The Sick Children's Trust. The charity, which provides 'Home from Home' accommodation for the families of sick children supported Matt's sister Charlotte and partner Phil when their son Ashton, now three, required brain surgery to remove a benign tumour at the Royal Victoria Infirmary, Newcastle. Charlotte and Phil were given free 'Home from Home' accommodation at Crawford House, a two minute walk away from the ward Ashton was being treated on. Without the house, they would have faced a long journey from Cumbria every day.

Matt, who smashed his fundraising target of £500, says: “It's been great raising money for The Sick Children's Trust and this was such a fun way to do it and it's made me want to do more!

“The jump went really well, 12 of us went up in a tiny jet engine plane and I was the fifth person to jump out. The feeling of falling through the air was just amazing and when I landed, I felt really proud knowing that I had raised lots of money for a great cause. What made it more special was that Ashton was there too along with my niece Sienna.”

The charity, which runs ten 'Homes from Home' across the country, relies entirely on charitable donations. On average it costs £28 per night to provide a family with a room so that they can be close to their child at the time they need to be there the most. Ashton's Mum, Charlotte, says:

“Crawford House has been there for us on two occasions now and it is amazing. It meant we could all get a good night's sleep away from the busy hospital ward. The kitchen was fully equipped with everything so my mum was able to visit and cook a homemade meal every night which helped to keep our strength up and we could do all our washing as there was a laundry in the house too.

“We spent most of our time on the ward but it was lovely to be able to pop back to the house for a cup of tea, to watch half an hour of TV or just sit in the quiet and de-stress for a while. Crawford House was especially important for me to have time to relax as I was 18 weeks pregnant with my daughter, Sienna, so needed to make sure I got the rest we both needed and had the facilities to make nutritious meals instead of the fast food at the hospital.

“The Sick Children's Trust will always have a special place in our hearts and we are so pleased that Matt's fundraising will help more families. He was absolutely great and we're so proud of him.”

Crawford House is one of two 'Homes from Home' located in Newcastle supporting specialist children's hospitals. Crawford House Manager Gail Stonley says:

“It's lovely to see how well Ashton is doing now since his surgery – he's come such a long way! Matt did a brilliant job in his fundraising efforts and everyone at The Sick Children's Trust would like to say a massive thank you and well done for taking on such a daunting challenge. It really makes a huge difference.”

If you would like to help Matt reach his £1000 target, please visit: https://www.justgiving.com/Matt-Sellers

To find out more about The Sick Children's Trust, please visit: www.sickchildrenstrust.org