Model Nell McAndrew to present TV appeal for national charity
A national TV appeal to help raise funds for the charity DebRA will be broadcast on BBC1 at 5.10pm on Sunday April 15. The appeal will be presented by model and DebRA Vice President, Nell McAndrew, who has supported DebRA ever since befriending Jonny Kennedy, who featured in the Emmy award-winning programme ‘The Boy Whose Skin Fell Off’.
DebRA is the only charity for families affected by the rare genetic condition Epidermolysis Bullosa (EB) which causes the skin and internal linings to blister and shear at the slightest friction and even spontaneously.
The TV appeal will feature seven month-old Max Boyle, from Surrey, who sadly died from fatal Junctional EB in March this year, and 11 year-old Melissa Hughes, from Cheshire, who lives with Recessive Dystrophic EB.
Aliza Boyle, mother of Max, said: “Being told that you will lose your child and that you are unlikely to see them reach their first birthday is heartbreaking, as is watching helplessly as EB takes over your precious baby’s body. Without the support of DebRA we are not sure how we would have coped and Max would have had no quality of life.”
Matt Boyle, father of Max, added: “We always knew that our time with Max would be limited, but thanks to DebRA that time was the most precious – albeit heartbreaking – of our lives. We will forever be indebted to DebRA.”
EB is fatal in its most severe form, but even in the mildest cases it causes lifelong disability and pain. EB currently affects around 5,000 children and adults in the UK and approximately 500,000 worldwide.
Because DebRA receives no direct funding from the Government, the charity relies on donations to carry out its vital work: supporting EB families and funding research to find effective treatments for this extremely painful genetic skin condition.
For Melissa Hughes, turning over in bed can cause up to thirty blisters on her body. Each morning, Melissa and her mum spend three hours removing bandages, lancing blisters and putting fresh dressings on. This then has to be repeated in the evening. She has undergone operations to open up her hands and fingers, and have her oesophagus widened, as a result of EB. Despite these setbacks, Melissa goes to mainstream school and absolutely loves it.
John Dart, director of DebRA, said, “We urge everyone to watch BBC Lifeline on April 15 and make a donation, no matter how small. Every penny raised will help us support families now and in the future. Following a recent breakthrough in EB research, it is more important than ever that we continue to raise as much money as possible for our research programme. Only through research can we find the effective treatments for this distressing condition.”
You can make a donation by phoning 01344 771961, visiting www.debra.org.uk or sending your donation to DebRA, FREEPOST, Crowthorne, Berkshire RG45 6ZZ.
The appeal will be repeated at 1.00pm on Wednesday April 18 on BBC2 and each day for a week on the Community Channel.
