Hi, my name is Dan, and I'm reaching out in the hope we can do something nice to help a family who've been through the worst that life can throw at them.

Over the Christmas period we received tragic news for any family. My brother Nat, somehow found the strength to call me to tell me he'd lost his beautiful little boy, and my precious nephew, Jude, to a very short battle with meningitis in hospital.

Many of you will know that Nat, his wife Sasha, and their wonderful daughters Jess and Alice were blessed with the arrival of Jude five years ago. Jude was a very special little boy who faced almost impossible challenges from the start. However, Jude was a fighter who defied all predictions for his future as he and his family battled through them all. He made astonishing progress, growing into a wonderful little fellow, who brought unbridled joy to all who knew him, along with a very healthy obsession with the Beatles!

Totally out of the blue, Jude went from enjoying Christmas as the star he is, to losing his life to an innocuous cold that progressed rapidly despite the best efforts of the amazing team at Alder Hay.

This has knocked our entire family and friends for six, but we want to support Nat and Sasha in giving Jude the best possible send-off, one that reflects the five precious years they spent with Jude, and to celebrate the amazing achievements he made in overcoming the incredibly difficult start to his life. Sasha and Nat want him to be remembered for the indominitble character and joy he embodied; certainly no black to be worn!

I hope we can throw our arns around Sasha, Nat and the girls by raising a contribution towards the inevitable costs, and relieve some of the financial pressure that accompanies this the worst possible time. Hopefully they have a bit left over to ensure they can celebrate Jude's life in their own special way and some respite.

Thank you. Xx