Sophie’s Sparkle Fund
Sophie’s Sparkle Fund was set up by Alex and Kirsty Taylor in 2021 as a legacy for their daughter, Sophie.
Sophie peacefully passed away in January 2019 after a brave battle with osteosarcoma, a type of bone cancer. Sophie’s family’s wish is to make sure that Sophie’s name lives on and that no family has to endure alone what they experienced.
Money raised through the Sophie’s Sparkle Fund will go towards a project that enables Sophie to be remembered whilst providing support to children and their families that find themselves in similar positions, as well as towards advancing medical research into bone cancer and supporting charities and voluntary groups offering practical and emotional support for the wellbeing of children and their families impacted by childhood cancer.
How the Sophie’s Sparkle Fund is changing lives
The Sophie’s Sparkle Package
The Fund provides support for local families of children diagnosed with cancer to apply for up to £320 to access the Sophie’s Sparkle Package, comprising products and services from four wonderful businesses to benefit and provide positive experiences to the families. To find out more and how to apply to the Sophie’s Sparkle Package experience, click below.
Supporting groundbreaking bone cancer research project
Alongside supporting families during their journey, the Sophie’s Sparkle Fund is helping to advance medical research into bone cancer to combat this devastating disease. So far, the Fund has donated over £40,000 to cutting-edge bone cancer research being conducted at the University of East Anglia. The research team has made a remarkable breakthrough with the development of a drug that halts the spread of cancer cells around the body. The drug, CADD522, which the researchers have nicknamed Bensofib after Sophie and Dr Green’s childhood friend, Ben, who succumbed to another type of bone cancer called Ewing sarcoma, has been shown to reduce mortality by 50% in preclinical models – even without the use of other treatments like chemotherapy or surgery. The new medicine does this by preventing bone cancer from spreading to other organs, which is the usual cause of death in cancer patients. Further testing is needed, however, before it is ready for use on patients. “Only 0.02% of all major cancer research funding goes towards bone cancer, so it is only through the hard work of specific charities and personal donations like this that vital work on this devastating disease can continue”, said Dr Green, “This donation brings us one step closer to bringing this drug to trial.”
“This research brings hope to the countless children and families affected by this disease each year. We are determined to make sure no family has to go through what we did. I believe that we can get this truly revolutionary drug to trial if we all come together. Every pound we raise gets us one step closer to beating this disease.”
How you can help families in Norfolk
Sophie’s family set up the Sophie’s Sparkle Fund with the ambition to make sure that no family feels alone when battling childhood cancer, but they need your support to help reach as many families in Norfolk as possible.
Donations can be made by completing the donation form on the page, by calling 01603 623958 to make a card payment over the phone or by sending a cheque made payable to Norfolk Community Foundation (referencing ‘Sophie’s Sparkle Fund’ on the reverse) to Norfolk Community Foundation, First Floor, Carmelite House, 2 St James Court, Norwich, NR3 1SL.
