10 years today we held our beautiful 12-year-old daughter as she took her final breaths. Cuddled close, hand in hand, we felt her gently and peacefully fall asleep. That last breath was the last time I felt her heart. I remember the moment so clearly—her heartbeat slowing… and then suddenly stopping. And in that moment, our world stopped too.

That night is etched into us. As much as we try to let the incredible memories of her 12 years rise to the surface, that night will always sit right at the top—raw, vivid, and impossible to forget.

It’s been 10 years, yet we live every day with the what ifs.

What would you look like now?

What would you be doing?

Who would you have become?

The questions never end.

Every anniversary is a battle. One that reaches deep and never gets easier. For 10 years I haven’t worked on this day—but today I am. I’m doing it because I know I’m making a difference in her name. When I finish, I’ll hold my boy close (and maybe Ben too, if he’s lucky), then I’ll head to the gym to release the sadness, the anger, the ache—because it’s one of the few places that helps me survive days like this and protects my mental health.

Sophie’s Legacy is nothing short of incredible. She is the heart of this charity. She is the reason hundreds of children—and now adults—have been given precious memories by the sea. And soon, because of her, there will be a first holiday home in Lincoln, creating even more moments of joy where there was once so much pain.

Today, I’m asking you to help us honour her. Please dig deep if you can. Even £2 can make a difference. Every single donation carries her name, her love, and her legacy forward.

Thank you—for your kindness, for your support, and most of all, for remembering our beautiful girl 🤍

Lincolnshire palliative holiday home

Appeal

After a year of careful planning, we are thrilled to launch the biggest appeal our charity has ever undertaken. I have been working with professionals across health care and spoken to hundreds of families caring for a child or adult in palliative care with cancer to understand what is truly missing in Lincolnshire.

The feedback was clear: travel for palliative care is often uncomfortable, even for short trips. We found with Sophie’s that no matter how much support or padding we used, the journey itself was exhausting and stressful and painful at times. Our goal is to change that.

We plan to create a fully accessible holiday home within 30 minutes of Lincoln Hospital, designed to:

Provide a comfortable, supportive space for families close to home.

Allow doctors and nurses quick access to patients if needed.

Include full accessibility features, such as ramps, rails, adapted chairs, and hoists—designed with input from occupational therapi