Video footage showing Olivia in hospital, giggling away at her brother blowing up a balloon, is sure to melt your heart.
The clip, released ahead of a fundraising day which takes place on Sunday to help the family of a brave little girl battling cancer.
Four-year-old Olivia Phillips’ parents Louise Ashcroft, 35 and Jon Phillips, 40 from Little Sutton received the devastating news that she had the disease last month. She has two brothers, Liam, 14, and Ryan, five.
The plight of Olivia, being cared for in Alder Hey Children’s Hospital with hepatoblastoma, a rare tumour that originates in the liver and has spread to her lungs, has touched hearts across the town.
Friends and family rallied round and fundraising began in earnest with friends Sarah Tattersall and Kate Hodgenia setting up a Justgiving page which quickly passed the £5,000 mark with one anonymous donation of £1,000.
Other fundraising was given a huge boost of £1,051 from a car wash at the Woodland on Chester Road, Whitby.
Car wash organiser Jo Foster said: “No words can describe how grateful I am. Everyone pulled together and worked so hard non-stop.”
Fundraising events
Sunday will see events and activities at the Vauxhall Sports and Social Club on Rivacre Road from noon to 4pm with a sponsored football match between Ellesmere Port Little Fighters and Vauxhall Astras Under 9s kicking off an hour earlier.
Organisers promise something for everyone with a huge list of generously donated amazing prizes to be won.
The event includes a secret auction, a raffle, tombola, games, music, live singing, dancers, Disney characters coming to visit, face painting, a glitter tattoo artist, stalls and much more.
Santa will be joining in between 1pm and 3pm and children can visit him in his grotto with a gift to each child.
There will be a DJ/entertainer, photographs with Olaf and Cinderella plus Belle from Beauty and the Beast thanks to Sivisa Parties and Events.
Amazing animals will be visiting courtesy of Animals Take Over.
The raffle will be drawn at 3pm and raffle tickets are available to purchase before the event or on the day at £2 per strip
There is no entrance fee although donations are welcome and the bar will be open and food can be purchased.
Jo Foster said: “Please come along and support our fundraising day for Olivia and her family. We need to see lots of faces on Sunday to make all our hard work and sleepless nights even more worthwhile.
“Whether you have children or not the day caters for all ages so please grab your friends and family and come and support our day, we truly appreciate everyone’s support. Ellesmere Port really is the home of kind hearted people.”
Family friends say Olivia has battled through so much in the last four weeks and has been through operation after operation but still has a long long way to go. Although she is fighting the disease she still giggles and is ‘an absolutely amazing, incredible, beautiful little girl!”
The event is being held to raise funds to help Olivia’s parents whilst they are off work living in the Ronald McDonald House at Alder Hey to be with Olivia on a daily basis.
They say Olivia has captured the hearts of so many and with peoples’ continued support they can hopefully offer some comfort to Olivia’s parents.
“We may not be able to take the pain away but hopefully relieving them from financial strain will help take some worry away,” said Jo.
An overwhelming amount of people have offered their time or donations by way of gifts to make Sunday what it is.
With friends continuing to pray for Olivia every minute of every day, people can follow Olivia’s journey on her Facebook page ‘Olivia’s Story’.
Wellwishers say: “The family and friends of Olivia are so grateful for everyone’s kind gestures, good wishes and prayers. Olivia will fight this and will get to see all those amazing characters over in Disney land once this nightmare is over.”
Other fundraising in the town has included over £450 from the Early Learning Academy, £400 from the TMF at Capenhurst, £800 from Star Beauty and £56 from the Little Bears Preschool at St Bernard’s.
Next month Wirral Riding Centre is to hold an auction on Sunday December 6 at 6pm at the Macdonald Craxton Wood Hotel and Spa, admission £5, under 16s free.
Have you donated to help Olivia and family? Will you be going to the events? Let us know in the comments below
