Help Launch This New Charity to Support Children Dealing With Trauma
A family from Washington are launching a charity in their daughter's name after she sadly passed away just after her 20th birthday
‘Poppy was a really, really beautiful person, and very much an old soul,’ Vicki says. ‘She was extremely creative. She went to University of the Arts London to study fashion and textiles design and was awarded a place on her portfolio alone, without an interview or any A Level requirements. She was such an empathic soul. She was drawn to people, a real people person, and had a passion about the arts and therapy of the arts. Poppy always wanted people to get on and she celebrated resilience and success. She was really drawn to people who had those stories.
‘Children gravitated to her. She went to Durham High School For Girls and even when she left school she went back to show the children studying textiles what she was doing. Even at school, as part of The Duke of Edinburgh's Award, she helped out in nursery and was always such a big support. Poppy was home from university this summer, having finished her first year, and she did exceptionally well and produced some fantastic textiles and samples. She really embraced London and the vibrant city life. She loved the markets and being with people, she wasn’t so much of a party girl but she would never miss Durham High School’s ball.’
On 7th August, Poppy was home for the holidays and went out for a meal with her family. ’It was just a usual Wednesday night,’ says Vicki. ‘Poppy is one of five, and the eldest girl. The seven of us had a lovely meal and went for a walk with our dogs on a lovely summer’s evening.’ Returning home, Poppy went to change but didn’t answer the door to her sister's knocks. ‘Poppy had gone. We don’t know why. The CT scan showed nothing and the post-mortem itself hasn’t given us a cause.’ Poppy’s family haven’t been able to understand what went wrong that night, and why Poppy’s heart stopped.
‘She just loved life and had so much to offer. She was so loved,’ Vicki says. ‘There’s this light and guidance that we still feel we have every day. Our worries are for Poppy’s siblings and how they’re coping. We’re a close family and we’re really blessed by having a wonderful wider family and friends who are supporting us. My background is as a specialist nurse in child protection so I know the impact of adversity on children and I know how trauma affects people in different ways through the generations. I know how stretched services are nationwide but particularly in this region. That’s the energy behind the Foundation – how we can support children who have experienced trauma and who are coping with bereavement.’
Poppy’s family have set up a fundraiser to launch Poppy’s Light Foundation. ‘Sudden adult death is a really painful subject and I think it’s about not scaring people but getting the word out and having an understanding, because ultimately we want to save lives and make a difference on a practical level as well as on a spiritual level and improve life experiences for children who are undergoing trauma, whatever that may be,’ Vicki says.
The aim is to raise £25,000 to establish the charity to support bereaved children after tragedy and they’ve already reached the £19,000 mark. Vicki took part in a skydive in September as part of fundraising efforts and donations continue to flood in.
To donate to the fundraiser visit justgiving.com/crowdfunding/poppys-light-foundation and keep up to date with the progress of Poppy’s Light Foundation at poppyslightfoundation.com.
