Hundreds of people turned out to set a Guinness World Record in memory of our daughter, Ellen who died from an allergic reaction 5 years ago. The family and friends of Ellen Raffell decided to attempt the ‘Largest Gathering of People Dressed as Stars’ record in her honour and to celebrate what would have been her 21st Birthday in Sept 2024.
Ellen tragically died in October 2019, after suddenly going into cardiac arrest at home, when she suffered a severe allergic reaction to food she had eaten shortly before. She was transported to Newcastle’s Royal Victoria Infirmary intensive care unit, where she passed away peacefully four days later on October 31. She was just 16 years old.
Now, to celebrate and honour Ellen, who would have turned 21 on September 24, her family decided to attempt to set a new world record, inspired by her love of space. Needing 250 people to be dressed as stars at their free fun day, the family were thrilled to have almost 500 people turn out.
Graham, Ellen’s dad, said: “We wanted to do something memorable to celebrate Ellen’s 21st, so a free family fun day like this on top of the record attempt made perfect sense. We’ve had live music, a bouncy castle, a children’s zone and a lot more for people to enjoy.
Delyth, Ellen’s mum, added: “To set the Guinness World Record we needed 250 people, and I believe we have surpassed that already, as we seem to be nearer 500. There are so many people here; family, friends and the whole community who have really pulled together.
