Jo fund cash is handed to charity
Saturday 2nd May 2009, 7:00PM BST.
Craig Phillips and Jo Harris
Big Brother star Craig Phillips and the family of Shropshire’s Joanne Harris have handed over £10,000 to a children’s hospital from an appeal fund.
Down’s Syndrome sufferer Jo, of Shrewsbury, captured the hearts of millions of television viewers and helped win transplant rights for people with disabilities.
Jo, 25, died in April last year before she could undergo life-saving treatment for a heart condition.
She shot to fame in 2000 after family friend Craig Phillips dedicated his £70,000 winnings from the first Big Brother series towards her appeal.
Mr Phillips, together with Jo’s mum Marion Harris and her sister Viv McCarthy, recently visited Alder Hey children’s hospital in Liverpool to hand over £10,000 from the Heart for Jo appeal.
The money has paid for two nasendoscopes which will enable non-intrusive investigations of children’s throats. Jo’s aunt, Mrs McCarthy said she was delighted the money raised initially to pay for a heart and lung transplant for Jo was now being used in this way so her legacy will live on.
She said: “It means that Jo’s passing wasn’t in vain and for us Jo’s memory lives on.”
Some of the money from the appeal fund will go to Jo’s former day centre at Abbotswood in Monkmoor to pay for an aromatherapy suite and revamped restaurant.
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Jo’s death was such a sad event for her family, but they have been resolute in using the money from her fund to help make a difference to many other lives.
Our organisation was honoured to be the recipient of a donation last year and it meant so much for a struggling charity, not only financially but as an endorsement from this wonderful family of the work that we do.
Jo’s memory will be with us for a very long time, she was a remarkable young lady.
Penny Green
Down’s Heart Group
http://www.dhg.org.uk
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