Sheffield children's hospice Christmas elves spread festive magic

Christmas came early for the families supported by the Sheffield children’s hospice charity as its eager elves delivered presents and festive cheer in a Covid-safe way.

They even had a specially-recorded message from the big man himself, who was too busy loading his sleigh to make an early appearance.

The charity ordinarily has a big Christmas party, as well as a variety of magical events at the hospice, where families can make precious memories in the time they have together.

While it wasn’t possible this year, Bluebell Wood was determined to spread some festive cheer.

Evie-Mae O’Grady Askwith, 9, from Ecclesfield, has an extremely rare chromosome deletion disorder, which means she can’t walk or talk and needs round-the-clock care.

“It was so lovely and it really brightened up our December,” said Evie-Mae’s mum Keeley.

“Like everyone else we’ve not been able to get out and see Santa this year, so it really made our day.”

Molly Williams, 8, who has a degenerative condition called SMA Type 1 which affects every aspect of her life, was over the moon to be greeted by a Christmas elf at her door.

“Molly and her brother and sister all absolutely loved it,” said Molly’s mum, May, from Penistone.

“They thought it was magical and it really felt quite personal too, like it was just for them.”

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Susan Wood, director of care at Bluebell Wood, said: “Christmas is such an incredibly important time for the families in our care who sadly don’t know how long they’ll have together, so every year we pull out all the stops to make it as magical as possible.

“This year has, of course, been very different – but we were determined that it wouldn’t stop us helping our families to make special memories together.

“Our elves did an amazing job and it was wonderful to see all the smiling faces.

“A huge thank you to all our supporters; thanks to your generosity we really can make Christmas dreams come true.”

People can help Bluebell Wood after the festive season by using the charity’s Christmas tree recycling service.

For £10, the charity will collect real Christmas trees from outside people’s homes and recycle them in an ethical and environmentally-friendly way. Go to www.bluebellwood.org/recycle-your-christmas-tree

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