Telford's Luke smashes £50,000 goal for hospices

Luke Millington, 21, from Telford made a video to show how the charity has helped him since he was diagnosed with the incurable muscle-wasting condition Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy.

It tells how his nurse Rachel has supported him and made him see that anything is possible, such as learning to drive.

See the video here:

His story and incredible positivity have captured everyone’s hearts, and the hospices have been bombarded with messages for Luke, along with donations.

Luke is thrilled, because the money raised will fund support for five more children at Hope House or Ty Gobaith in 2020.

“I feel really lucky to have Hope House in my life, but sad too that they can only afford to help one in every three children who need them," he said.

“By sharing my story I hoped to make people aware of how brilliant Hope House and Ty Gobaith are, and to inspire more people to help.

“I was stunned by how many people donated, and the messages that I was sent. One lady said I was an inspiration and told me to ‘keep aspiring’. That was pretty special. I can’t thank everyone enough for their amazing generosity for such an incredible charity.

“When the campaign started I was learning to drive – and then a few weeks ago I actually passed my test. When we put that on Facebook the amount of comments I got was really good. I can’t believe how many people were interested in what I was doing!”

As well as sharing his story by social media and video, Luke has been out and about taking part in events such as the Hope House Chester Ball and Shrewsbury Lantern walk, visiting local schools and meeting with organisations such as Rotary Clubs. His busy calendar is set to continue in 2020.

Hope House Children’s Hospices Chief Executive Andy Goldsmith said that Luke is a wonderful ambassador for the charity.

“Through raising the profile of the hospices, and all the money that everyone has given in support of his appeal, we will be able to care for and support more children and young people like Luke in 2020," he said.

“A huge thank you to Luke for his help, and to everyone who has helped him achieve his fundraising goal.”