Incredibly it is now over 3 years since Sam passed away on 4th April 2019. Sam had been battling Leukaemia under the care of Great Ormond Street and Watford Hospital since Dec 2015 and had been in remission for over 2 years before he relapsed in June 2018. Sam received further treatment and a bone marrow transplant at GOSH on the 24th October 2019. He was once again in remission and recovering at home when he was cruelly taken from us by an aggressive infection.

As a family we remain indebted to a large number of people and charities for all the support we had during Sam's illness and so each year we intend to do a little something to try and repay some of that kindness. This year after being postponed for 2 years due to Covid, it's 3rd time lucky in my attempt to complete the 'Maratona dles dolomites' an 138Km bike ride with 4230m elevation gain in the stunning Dolomite mountains of Italy. With several peaks over 2000m including one 10km climb averaging 10% it is quite the challenge that is difficult to emulate and train for near London!  

Although 3 years have passed our memories and love for Sam have not faded. A number of those memories were created with the generous support of Spread a Smile. Thanks to them we were able to enjoy a few theatre trips in between treatment, and would look forward to Thursdays when fairies and magicians funded by Spread a Smile were on the ward. The memories of these trips and visits are priceless, yet not all children in the UK benefit from this service. Spread a Smile currently cover 12 leading NHS hospitals and their vision is to achieve national status spreading smiles in specialist NHS hospitals across the UK by the end of 2024. Despite their bold ambitions the amazing team at Spread a Smile continue to stay in touch and we sincerely hope that donations in Sam's memory will hope them achieve their vision and ensure all families in the UK in a similar position get to benefit from their wonderful work.

As a family we are very conscious that is often the same people supporting us year in year out and we sincerely hope that like us you feel this is a worthwhile cause and will donate generously once again!

Lots of Love - Gareth, Jude, Rhys and Sam xxx

Our mission at Spread a Smile is to distract seriously ill children and teenagers from the monotony of long hospital stays by spreading joy and laughter. Every year, our teams of entertainers make thousands of virtual and bedside visits, distracting children from pain and treatment, breaking the monotony of the hospital environment and creating positive memories for them, their parents and siblings. Our support also includes family events and outings, Smile TV, art workshops, painting children's radiotherapy masks and family support.