Ellen’s Little Star Lifetime Award was introduced in 2025 and is a £5000 grant given out to a child who requires longer term care. Maximum of one award per year. This year we are extremely happy to be awarding this grant to Sophia Welsh.
Sophia is a 10 year old little girl who has faced life battle after life battle since she was born. She has a range of complex health needs including intestinal failure requiring TPN nutrition via her central line into her heart each night for 12 hours. She has a VA shunt due to her hydrocephalus and an ileostomy stoma as well as epilepsy, full time wheelchair user, unsafe swallow, congenital heart disease.
Sophia requires 24 hours / 7 days a week care, it never stops. She’s cared for by her parents and her full time staff to ensure she is always kept as safe as she can be. Despite her complex health needs she has an absolute love of life, nothing gets her down for long. She’s unable to walk but can talk in her own way to her familiar adults. She’s so much fun, has so much character and really lights up any room she enters.
Mum, Megan has told us “Ellen’s gift of hope have been phenomenal with Sophia, there kindness just blows us all away. They’ve made such a difference in Sophia’s life and no amount of thank yous will ever be enough to say how grateful we are to Delyth and the charity. They’ve helped fund specialist equipment such as a special needs trike which Sophia absolutely loves to go on. Nothing beats seeing her smiley face on her ‘big girls’ bike! They’ve supported us financially with hospital stays and gifted Sophia ‘Ellen’s little star’ award which we are forever thankful for. From the bottom of our hearts we would like to say thank you to Ellen’s Gift of Hope for always thinking of Sophia, for their kindness and for everything they have done for us all as a family. What an amazing charity.”
