Santas, elves and reindeer took to the road on specially lit-up motorbikes to bring Christmas presents to poorly Derbyshire children courtesy of a much-loved family charity.
A group of 28 festive motorbike riders revved their way around many miles of roads across Derbyshire, Staffordshire and Leicestershire bringing presents and cheer to children, as part of the me&dee charity that is all about making memories.
Children visited by me&dee’s Santa bikes are not well enough to leave their homes to get to a grotto due to a range of illnesses including leukaemia, Canavan’s disease – a rare children’s neurological disorder – Duchenne muscular dystrophy and brain damage, heart and lung transplant conditions and the effects of meningitis.
Santa with Taylor, mum Terri, baby Jesse and Maria Hanson.
Photo: Mark Corns
Set up by founder Maria Hanson MBE and her late very close cousin Delia, Melbourne-based me&dee helps hundreds of families across the East Midlands by creating special memories where a potentially life-limiting illness means time together may be short and precious. The charity gives families a break in its own holiday lodge, hands out wellbeing packs and does a range of other work including the annual Santa Bikes visits to give loved ones special time and memories together.
Maria said: “It’s important to do the Santa bikes at Christmas because for some of the families that we support, this may be their last Christmas together, or they are living in uncertain or challenging situations.”
Other families on me&dee’s books who were able to travel also got the chance to meet the sparkly Santa riders at The Greyhound pub in Woodville, Swadlincote, where they were treated to a meal out plus a Christmas present or two!
Terri Lewis, of Ilkeston, was at the Santa bikes event with her eight-year-old son Taylor, who has had multiple amputations after falling ill with meningitis as a baby. The family has been supported by me&dee for several years.
Me&dee founder Maria Hanson with Taylor and Santa.
Photo: Mark Corns
Terri said Taylor had loved being visited by the Santa bikes as a younger child.
She said: “The Santa bikes really help make Christmas magical. Taylor loved it. We never told him – it was a surprise every year, and his face just lit up.
“This charity means the world to us. They have done different things every year, from holidays to treat days, and they’ve literally become family to us now. It doesn’t feel like a charity anymore. It’s brilliant.”
The Santa bikes are organised annually by Kelly Tims and Gary West, of Stapenhill, who were also helped by me&dee when their daughter Lauren was being treated at Great Ormond Street Hospital in London with adrenal insufficiency – a rare disorder in which the body does not produce enough cortisol.
Kelly said the annual event had grown bigger over the years with more and more bikers turning up on lavishly decorated vehicles, all ready to spread some Christmas cheer to those sorely in need of it.
She said: “We’ve got to know these families we visit and the kids have just inspired us to want to make it so much better. There was one little girl who had been in hospital and Gary got a phone call. She had been having chemo and got out on Christmas Eve and just wanted to tell Santa she’d been really brave. Some of these kids can’t get out to a grotto, so we wanted to make sure they are able to make their own memories in whatever way we can help with.”
Gary West.
Photo: Mark Corns
Kelly said her family had really appreciated the support from me&dee after Lauren had been diagnosed with her illness.
She said: “Her diagnosis came from nowhere and it was quite a lot for us all to get our heads around and learn how to manage this illness. Maria gave us a break when we were in and out of hospital and really needed one. It gave us that time together as a family when we didn’t need to be stressed about hospital.”
To support me&dee reach out to more families facing a short or uncertain future together see www.meanddee.co.uk
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