1:00pm Saturday 14th June 2008
By Stephen Mather
THANKS to the generosity of Star readers, seriously ill youngster Jasmine Beedles is now in Disneyland enjoying her birthday during the holiday of a lifetime.
The six-year-old's parents Samantha and Ben, who have been told that their daughter's birthday yesterday Friday (June 13), is likely to be her last.
Earlier this year they issued an appeal through the St Helens Star to help raise £5,000 for a dream holiday to the French theme park.
Money flooded in from kind hearted pensioners to young families, who were touched by the story of the courageous little girl from Sutton Manor, who has a severe form of the genetic condition DiGeorge syndrome.
Mum Sam explained that they needed the money to take two full time carers and Jasmine's medical equipment, including oxygen tanks, on the trip. The money will also help pay for a special meal at the themed princesses' table, which costs hundreds of pounds.
The family were overwhelmed with the offers of support.
Local cabbie Garry Wilson organised a fancy dress charity walk and raised £2000. Golden hearteddoormen from GB Security rattled buckets outside pubs and bars in the town and got £2355, a troop of friends from Segal Gardens in Parr, a centre for people with learning difficulties took more than £900 and cleaners and directors from Alfred H Knight raised £1000 thanks to a sponsored silence.
The charity Max Appeal also helped generate thousands of pounds from across the country.
Sam and Ben said they were overwhelmed by the generosity by all those who helped raise the cash.
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