Hippodrome employees aim to raise £5,000 for Children's Hospice South West in loving memory of Stella and Leo

Hippodrome employees Jo Snow and Steve Jones (Head of Marketing and Communications) will be running the London Marathon in 2025 to raise money for Children's Hospice South-West and spread awareness. They aim to raise £5,000.

Jo says - “26 miles is a long way to run but I know that thinking of Stella and the hospice will be all the motivation I need!  Knowing I’ve got Steve there too and the team at the Bristol Hippodrome supporting us, will keep me going and I’m excited for the challenge!”

Steve says – “I feel so privileged to be accepted to the Children’s Hospice South West London Marathon team to raise much needed funds for such an incredible organisation and place. Two of my close friends and colleagues were helped by CHSW during the saddest and lowest point any family could be in, and to hear their testimonies of what the hospice did and means to them, completely moved me, that I felt I had to do something positive to remind us all of the lives of Stella and Leo.”

Amanda Leonard Area Fundraiser for Children's Hospice Southwest says – “We wish Jo and Steve all the very best for their London Marathon training; it’s an incredible challenge, I know they will do their families and friends proud. The money they will raise for the Children’s Hospice South West in memory of Stella and Leo will make a huge difference to local families who are supported by the care team at Charlton Farm.  We are grateful for the support; not only through fundraising but generating awareness of the crucial work that is delivered 24 hours a day 7 days a week to families who are going through the most challenging of times.   Good luck you two we will be cheering you on every step of the way.”    

You can read about Stella and Leo’s stories below. In the months leading up to the marathon Jo and Steve will be doing a number of fundraising activities to help them reach their target. Updates will be posted on the Bristol Hippodromes social media pages.

To donate please visit - www.justgiving.com/page/bristol-hippodrome-1727434594149?utm_medium=fundraising&utm_content=page%2Fbristol-hippodrome-1727434594149&utm_source=copyLink&utm_campaign=pfp-share

Stella’s story (provided by Jo Snow)

We were gifted Stella in our lives for 14 years. Having been told she might not make double figures; we still wanted to try and give Stella the life we had imagined. Being in a wheelchair had its limitations, but it never stopped us from giving her the best life.

Stella loved bumpy paths, socialising, girly nights, days by the sea and even went skiing! Her smile was contagious and lit up every room she entered.

Stella was born full-term, after a normal pregnancy. We didn’t know anything was wrong until day 3 when she had her first seizure.

After spending her first few months in intensive care, we were told she had Polymicrogyria – a brain condition so rare that she was the only person in the UK registered with it.

What that meant for her day-to-day was that she had epilepsy, was visually impaired, had cerebral palsy, developmental delay and ended up being fed via a tube. She needed 24-hour care, 365 days of the year.

Stella died in March of 2023 at Charlton Farm, the children’s hospice. Having been going there throughout her life for respite care and events, as a family, this time at end of life was so precious. The hospice provided all of us with quality, uninterrupted family time, discreet medical care, and the calm that we needed to escape and just enjoy her last moments without the hustle and bustle of the real world outside. It also meant that after her death we could still see her for a week afterwards until we were ready to properly say goodbye.

Charlton Farm left such an impression and we are so grateful to everyone who worked with us then and continues to, now. That is why I am running the marathon for them.

Leo's Story (provided by Naomi Kilcoyne, Leo’s mother)

Leo was born with hydrops fetalis (a condition where fluid builds up in the baby's body). This was the result of a number of medical problems, including hemolytic anemia, where the red blood cells are destroyed faster than they can be made, neonatal hyperbilirubinaemia, presenting as jaundice, and subsequently liver fibrosis.

However, despite months of countless tests and investigations, conversations with international experts, various hospitals and multiple wards, leading experts were unable to provide any answers on Leo's mysterious condition.

On the 15 April, Leo’s parents were told that he was deteriorating quickly so they made the decision to leave the hospital in Birmingham and go to Charlton Farm in Bristol so they could all be closer to home. Staff at the hospice showed understanding and compassion and did everything they possibly could to support Leo and his family during this time. After Leo passed away, his mum, dad and older brother stayed with him at the hospice, where they spent time together taking walks in the beautiful grounds, swimming and receiving emotional and practical bereavement support.

According to recent figures, more than 3 out of 10 children with a rare condition die before their fifth birthday. Leo's parents are therefore determined to shine a light on the struggles that children and their families are presented with when they are facing the unknown and living in the dark, especially when doctors are unable to offer a diagnosis.