Sophie's Legacy: "It makes me so proud": Sophie Fairall's mum 'incredibly proud' of 'everything achieved'

Sophie began experiencing symptoms of a rare type of cancer at the age of nine during the summer of 2020 but following multiple calls, virtual discussions and a face to face meeting with a GP, her mum, Charlotte Fairall, was informed that it was nothing serious and that her symptoms would ease. During a holiday with her grandparents, Sophie’s symptoms got worse and when she returned home, Charlotte knew there was something wrong - she was soon after diagnosed with rhabdomyosarcoma in September 2020.

Rhabdomyosarcoma is a rare type of cancer that forms in soft tissue, specifically skeletal muscle tissue or sometimes hollow organs such as the bladder or uterus.

During her time battling cancer, she raised thousands of pounds for charity and days before she died, she made her mum promise to try and make a difference to the system so that other children and parents receive more support. Sophie came up with a bucket list - she wanted better play facilities in hospitals, parents to be fed, more funding and more trained health specialists.

After a year of ongoing treatment, Sophie sadly died on September, 18, 2021 .

Charlotte established Sophie’s Legacy in January 2022 and, since then, she has made significant progress in memory of her incredible daughter. The charity initially started small but it has quickly caused a stir nationally and it is now paving the way for a brighter future for children diagnosed with cancer and any child admitted to hospital. The charity has already made phenomenal progress and, with the support from people across the country, the charity now offers vital help for parents and children in hospitals.

Charlotte said: “I feel super proud of what we have achieved. It has definitely taken a lot of work, not just by myself, there has been a lot of sacrifices to get to where we are but I think if we can make a little bit of a difference to the world to make it a better place when we leave it, then we should. 

“I am super proud to be Sophie’s mum. I am proud to be a mum to three girls and of Sophie who had the foresight to try and help others in her dying days - it makes me so proud to be her mum and everything we have achieved in her memory” 

Sophie’s Legacy offers help with: transport costs, birthday parties in hospital for children and parents, emotional support, end of life wishes for children and their families, vouchers for meals at the hospital restaurant or shops such as M&S, Costa vouchers as well as snack and toiletry boxes which can be found in ever parent room in hospital.

The charity also offers frozen meals from Cook, pizza every Saturday at Portsmouth, Chichester, Isle of Wight, Poole NICU and Royal Marsden Hospitals and Sunday at Guildford, and much more.

Charlotte added: “We cover anyone. If your child is in hospital we cover everything - It doesn’t matter what your child is in for, we will cover you - we can’t find any other charity that does that and hospitals like that because they know they can refer any parent to us and they don’t have to look at a criteria to work out if they are entitled to the support - That’s what makes us a really unique charity and I think that is why we have got the awareness we have. 

“We have got parents who have been in for years and I remember speaking to one parent and she said that now no longer has to go to bed hungry anymore. How powerful is that? 

“It is a job, they are looking after their children, they are staying overnight and they are doing a job. It costs £3 or £4 to feed a parent which is nothing compared to the outgoing costs of hospitals - it just alleviates the pressure for so many parents.

“I didn’t have any experience in running a charity and to think now about the awareness and how many people know about our charity, it is truly remarkable - in the space of time that we have it in as well.

“It is much bigger than we ever thought was possible - all of Sophie’s wishes, we are working on them.

“I think she would be super proud - we have an incredible team.”

Since the death of Sophie, Charlotte has been working alongside Caroline Dinenage, MP for Gosport, in a bid to work with clinicians, researchers, leading cancer charities, and the Government, with the common goal of saving lives and reducing the long-term impacts of cancer. After working together for the past three years, the pair successfully announced the creation of the Childhood and Young People Cancer Taskforce earlier this year. However, after a few months of working with the taskforce, the new government has decided to pause the work being done.

Wes Streeting, Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, said: “The pause is because we want to make sure that as we look at the breadth of the work of the department that we've got.” Charlotte has said that she will continue to fight for change and she is hoping that the taskforce will be able to resume its work as soon as possible.

It has also been announced that Sophie’s Legacy has been nominated for the ITV Regions Fundraiser of the Year Award 2024 Pride of Britain award.

Charlotte said: “I was nominated by somebody, I still don’t know who, for a Pride of Britain award and I was shortlisted to the final four for the region and I find out on Friday whether I am one of the finalists who will go to the final in London.”

It will be confirmed whether Charlotte and her team at Sophie’s Legacy will be in the final on Friday, September 20.

For more information about Sophie’s Legacy, click here.