From writing books to fundraising for people in need, these kids may be small, but they’ve made a big impact!
Stepping up
Standing in the kitchen, I called to my three kids, Théodor, Eléonor and Beatrice, who were playing in the living room.
‘Dinner’s ready,’ I said.
But as I plated up, I heard a thud from the living room.
‘What was that?’ my husband Darren asked.
Rushing in, I saw Eléonor, one, on the floor. She was shaking, blue and as I got closer, her body went limp.
I ran to her side as Darren called 999.
‘Mummy, is she going to die?’ Théodor, seven, asked.
Ushering him and Beatrice out the room, I said, ‘I need you to be really brave and wait here while I look after Eléonor.’
She was rushed to hospital and later, doctors diagnosed her with epilepsy.
Over the next few years, the seizures continued and her brother and sister quickly learned what to do when it happened.
They’d help pack her bag for hospital then stand at the front door to guide the paramedics in.
Then one night, I spotted Théodor hunched over a piece of paper.
‘What are you writing?’ I asked.
‘A guide for kids in an emergency,’ he said, proudly.
He’d outlined the steps of what to do when someone has a seizure, like stay calm and check around the person for danger.
‘That’s a great idea,’ I told him.
A few months later, Théodor told me he wanted to take part in the charity Young Epilepsy’s 1000 steps a day challenge.
Armed with his Fitbit, Théodor and I spent evenings walking round the neighbourhood and weekends running around the football field.
He’s since raised £820 but we’re hoping he’ll hit his goal of £1000.
Théodor is such a great big brother. He’d do anything for his sisters and now others will benefit from his kind and caring nature too.
From Danielle Smallwood, 41, of Liverpool
• If you'd like to support Théodor, visit here
Flying into action!
Dressed in his pilot jumpsuit and hat, my little boy Jacob excitedly rushed ahead towards the helicopter.
Jacob, five, had always been fascinated with planes and helicopters, so we’d come to an RAF air show and I’d arranged a little surprise.
As he stood admiring one plane, a team of Red Arrows pilots lined up in front of him and saluted.
Jacob gasped before saluting back.
‘Aw, look at him!’ my wife Andrea said, with a giggle.
To thank them, I suggested to Jacob, ‘How about we raise some money for the Red Arrows?’
‘That sounds fun,’ he replied.
We decided to hike Pen-y-Ghent, one of Yorkshire’s highest peaks and as we reached the top, we felt elated.
And to top it off, we’d raised £6500 for the RAF Benevolent Fund.
After that, the amazing experiences kept coming.
Jacob and I were invited to see some old WWII planes, and he met Johnny Johnson – the last surviving Dam Buster squadron member.
‘Tell me everything,’ Jacob said, in awe.
Johnny took him under his wing and they spent the entire day chatting.
Not long after, Andrea was diagnosed with cancer and when she passed away a year later, Jacob and I were devastated.
But to give us something positive to focus on and to thank St Gemma’s Hospice, who’d helped us through such an awful time, we began fundraising together.
Over the next years, through hikes and challenges, we raised £11,000 for them and spending time together outdoors helped us with our grief too.
Now, Jacob, 11, and I are on a new mission.
He wants to raise £100,000 for the RAF Benevolent Fund before he joins the Air Cadets next year.
Inspired by Johnny Johnson, we’re cycling around various Dam Buster dams in Germany.
We’ve been training hard and can’t wait to get going!
From Andrew Newson, 57, of Leeds
• If you'd like to support Jacob, visit here
Potty about giving
There was a bang as my daughter Carmela, came bustling through the door.
‘Mummy, why can’t I run as fast as my friends?’ she asked.
I’d been expecting this question for some time.
Carmela, aged 5, had been born with congenital muscular dystrophy – a condition that made her muscles weak and stiff, so now, I explained this as best I could.
‘Can the doctor help?’ she asked.
It broke my heart to explain that doctors needed more money to research her condition before they could.
‘How do we do that?’ Carmela said.
We decided on a bake sale to raise money for Muscular Dystrophy UK.
It went well, and over the next few years, as Carmela was forced to rely on a wheelchair more often, we kept raising money.
But when lockdown hit, Carmela struggled.
‘I can’t do this Joe Wicks thing!’ she said of Joe Wick’s PE classes.
So while his workouts took the country by storm, Carmela came up with her own using exercises from her physio for kids like her.
We filmed them for social media and positive comments came flooding in.
‘See what a difference you’re making,’ I told her.
From then on, Carmela made it her mission to help.
When Carmela turned 11, her school needed funds for accessible toilets for disabled pupils, she went straight into fundraising mode, planning a five-mile charity walk from school to Bournemouth pier and back.
To grab people’s attention, Carmela dressed up as a loo and I donned in an inflatable poo emoji costume.
‘It’s a poo plod!’ Carmela joked.
As we set off, her friends clapped and cheered and by the time we’d completed our walk, we’d raised over £2000 – enough for one new toilet.
Now, we’re hoping to install more loos to give Carmela and her classmates the dignity they deserve.
And to top things off, Carmela’s become the youngest person ever to be awarded an MBE in the King’s Birthday Honours for her fundraising.
I couldn’t be prouder of everything’s she’s achieved – I know there’s loads more to come!
From Lucy Chillery-Watson, 49, of Bournemouth
• If you'd like to support Carmela, visit here