Jeremy McConnell’s 3-month-old daughter Storm launches text appeal to raise money for the Donna Louise Trust
JEREMY McConnell has launched a text appeal to raise money for the Donna Louise Trust with his three-month-old daughter Storm.
Since the arrival of his baby girl in November last year and becoming the UK Director of Hair of Istanbul, the reality star, 30, has decided help others who are suffering and in a less fortunate position than him at his local hospice.
The Big Brother star has confirmed he is now working with The Donna Louise Children’s Hospice and explained to The Sun Online that he wants to use his large following to help raise awareness for such an important cause that is so close to his family home.
Storm, who now has 2,500 followers on Instagram at just three-months old, is the charity’s youngest fundraiser after launching the TEXT STORM APPEAL today.
After texting STORM4DL to 70085, each donor is greeted with a text reply that says: “Thank you for helping to bring some sunshine after the storm.”
The hospice provides a life line for around 250 families across Staffordshire and South Cheshire who are facing every parents worst nightmare – the dreaded news that they will outlive their young child.
Jeremy explained that he wants to bring up his daughter to be kind and appreciate what is important in life – and this is the best way to start this journey.
He explained: “I want Storm to have the right values in life and if she is lucky enough to have a platform in life, that she understands to use it positively.”
The Irishman, who encourages everyone to support or donate The Donna Louise Children’s Hospice, wasn’t aware of self-funding pressures that the charity faced until his partner Katie McCreath became involved with it via Crown Defence Solicitors.
The solicitors started supporting the charity through its Christmas appeals and now Jeremy, alongside his partner and daughter, want to add more to that and make a positive difference.
He added: “It was shocking when we discussed the funding of the services with the charity and their lack of government support and funding.
“I wrongly assumed the core income to children’s hospices would be from the government, although they support charities, the Donor Louise Trust still has to find £6,500 per day to operate.”
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After dealing with a tough childhood himself and having to come to terms with the fact he’d lost his siblings as such a young age, Jeremy revealed that a charity like this would have really helped him through the darker times.
He added: “The charity really pulls on my mine and Katie’s heart strings, not only because of Storm, but not even being able to imagine how parents of children with life limiting illness must feel, but I can also relate to loss as a child and I think how much a charity like the Donna Louise would have helped me with the loss of sibling at a young age.”
The trio plan to make a change both personally by partaking in a charity run, as well as through the success of their businesses.
Jeremy said: “If a small percentage of my following Text Storms Appeal can make a big difference to the lives of many families, but there are lots of ways people can help, there is a 5K and 10k Run in May, which we will be doing, everyone can get involved, me and the lads at The Gym will be competitively running the 10k and Katie with Storm and her friends will be doing the 5k.
“There is a lottery which is a simple way for everyone to get involved, people can include the charity in their wills, undertake many of the Trusts fundraising activities or the most rewarding of all, people can volunteer, it costs nothing!”