Havant teen and NHS Hero Lewis Hine makes bid for Christmas number one with charity single featuring ill children from around the world

Lewis Hine from Havant, who has had 13 brain surgeries for a brain tumour, hydrocephalus and uncontrolled epilepsy, has led the creation of new Christmas song, A Merry Christmas With You, to raise awareness of the isolation and loneliness caused by chronic illness and disability.

Ill children from around the world, including Hope Farren, from Portsmouth, who has cystic fibrosis and sings with oxygen, Alex from Texas, who is blind, autistic and doesn’t speak English, and Millie Garbutt, 15, from London, who is fighting a brain tumour and despite not being able to speak after surgery uses a voice trachie to sing, provide the vocals and took part in the music video.

SEE MORE: Plans to change former bottling store into new council homes in Southsea

Lewis said: ‘We fight the biggest fight every day just to stay alive. Some of us have beaten all the odds to still be here, so for us Christmas No.1 is a fight we are ready for and one we are determined to win.

‘Everyone has been laughing at me when I tell them my plan but that’s not going to stop me. The amazing kids that have made this song are determined to make a difference and prove that anything is possible.

‘Everyone involved wants to show the world who they are and that just because they are stuck in hospital they shouldn’t be forgotten.’

The 18-year-old Havant and South Downs College pupil added: ‘So my shout out is to Lewis Capaldi, Little Mix, my favourite Stormzy, Liam Payne and even to Robbie Williams and scary boxing champ Tyson Fury... bring it on!’

Recording studios around the world donated their time to help make the song a reality and the recordings were brought together in Portsmouth.

The song and music video have been released today and Lewis is aiming to raise £1m for his charity, A World With Friends, which aims to create a virtual world for ill children around the world to connect.

Mum Emma said: ‘He is really incredible and I really think he can do it.

SEE MORE: Hit-and-run motorcyclist leaves girl, 11, with a fractured elbow near Havant

‘He had been working with producers in Portsmouth since July and we got all the youngsters to come here for recording and Lewis sent his sister Chloe to Texas to work with Alex.

‘We got a phone call from Texas to say the song had been played for the Christmas light switch on there which is so exciting. I burst out into tears when I saw the music video and I hope people get behind it and get it to number one.’

Lewis became a global phenomenon when a video he released on his 16th birthday about being disabled went viral.

He founded then children’s charity A World With Friends (previously Friend Finder) and has put on five proms since 2017 for ill teenagers.

He has got an NHS Hero award in 2018, was made a Radio 1 teen hero in 2016 and this year received a Diana Award.

For more information visit aworldwithfriends.com or to donate visit https://tinyurl.com/tcqru6k