A special charity, set up in memory of a kind-hearted young woman who died of cancer eight years ago, is helping support other children and young people affected by cancer in Northern Ireland by helping them ‘smile’.
ove Amy was founded by the Newtownards Reid family in memory of Amy Ellen Reid, who passed away in 2013 when she was only 20 years old.
Her father Mark said he named the charity Love Amy after her because of a special birthday card he received shortly before her death.
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Amy’s parents and sister, Mark and Jean Reid, and Emma McGrady with husband Stuart and their children, Logan (9), Lewis (7) and Jason with singer Mike Donaghy (left) and Jorja Wallis-McKimm who received a ‘smile grant’ ‘
Liam McBurney/RAZORPIX
Amy’s parents and sister, Mark and Jean Reid, and Emma McGrady with husband Stuart and their children, Logan (9), Lewis (7) and Jason with singer Mike Donaghy (left) and Jorja Wallis-McKimm who received a ‘smile grant’ ‘
“I had an important birthday before Amy died,” he explained.
“She signed the card ‘To Dad, Love Amy’ and the words ‘love Amy’ kept running through my head, so when we decided to start the charity in her memory, Love Amy just stood out.
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Amy Ellen Reid died in 2013 when she was 20 years old
Amy Ellen Reid died in 2013 when she was 20 years old
“Every year in the UK 3,600 people under the age of 25 are diagnosed with cancer and while we didn’t expect to hear about Amy, we want to make sure we’re here to support everyone who receives this tragic news. ”
The charity, which was officially established in 2018, not only helps raise money for essential cancer research through various initiatives, but also helps provide “smile grants” to help other families whose relatives have been diagnosed with cancer.
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Amy (second from right) with her mother Jean (far left), her father Mark and sister Emma
Amy (second from right) with her mother Jean (far left), her father Mark and sister Emma
“When we send Smile Grants, we do it with love from Amy, in the end this is all hers because this was all done in her memory,” explains her sister Emma McGrady.
“We have been raising money since 2013 and have donated approximately £20,000 to both cancer research in Belfast and smile grants for people affected by cancer.
“People use the money to pay for all kinds of things, whether it’s a vacation, toys or even clothes or a bicycle, whatever it is that makes them laugh, it’s all up to them,” she added. to.
“Some months we could give up to 10 or 15 grants to families.”
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Amy’s House, in College Gardens, Belfast
Liam McBurney/RAZORPIX
Amy’s House, in College Gardens, Belfast
Her father Mark added that giving these smile grants “makes it all worth it”.
“If we give these grants to a young person who has been diagnosed or whose family member has received this devastating news, it will be so rewarding,” he said.
“We’ve heard such great feedback from people who have received them, we sometimes even get pictures of what they’ve spent the scholarship on and to see the smiles on their faces makes me tear up, it’s so beautiful to see.
“All we want to do is put a smile on the faces of those affected by cancer.”
Newtownards girl Jorja Wallis-McKimm was just seven years old when she and her two brothers each got a smile when their mother was diagnosed with brain cancer.
Jorja, now 12, said the smile grant made her “so happy”.
“The first thing I wanted to buy was a bag of ice cubes,” she said.
“Then I went to Build-A-Bear and named the bear Skye-Amy. I was so happy to receive my smile Grant and it really helped me.”
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Amy’s parents and sister, Mark and Jean Reid, and Emma McGrady
Liam McBurney/RAZORPIX
Amy’s parents and sister, Mark and Jean Reid, and Emma McGrady
Emma said her sister Amy was an avid fundraiser for cancer research during her own journey.
“We want to tell Amy’s story through this charity, how she encouraged us, how she inspired us and how she fought through the greatest battle she’d ever been through and she did it with a smile on her face, and how everything she wanted to do was help others,” she said.
“CLIC Sargent used to be a charity she was a big supporter of, it’s now called Young Lives Vs Cancer, that helps provide vital support to young people affected by cancer.
“They provide ‘Homes from Home’ near hospitals so that families who have to travel to receive treatment don’t have to stay in the hospital and can have some sort of normalcy,” she added.
“We continued to raise money after Amy passed away and the charity eventually opened a house in Belfast named after her.”
Owned by Young Lives Vs Cancer, Amy’s House was officially opened in 2016 and is just a few minutes’ walk from Belfast City Hospital so families can stay close while loved ones are treated.
According to the Young Lives Vs Cancer website, the longest stay at this house was 322 days in 2019/20, and from 2019 to 2020, 48 families stayed at Amy’s House.
One of the main ways Love Amy raises money is through AER Music, a sister initiative that supports emerging musicians and provides a platform.
The family put on AER music, named after her initials Amy Ellen Reid, at the same time as Love Amy in January 2014 because of Amy’s love of music.
AER music helps support grassroots songwriters and musicians and hopes to see a return to live music events soon after nearly 20 months without live music.
Mark said: “Through AER, we wanted to help present and provide a platform for songwriters and musicians just getting started. Amy liked going to concerts and listening to music.
“Through this initiative, we can keep Amy’s memory alive through her love of music and know that her memory will live on to support and help others.
“We hope that by keeping her at the forefront of these events, we can share Amy’s story and inspire others in the same position.”
Prior to the pandemic, these events were one of the main ways the family raised money to support cancer research.
“Normally we would organize an event every month, from gigs in coffee shops to other sessions to provide a platform for musicians,” said Mark.
They hosted a number of online events and fundraisers during the lockdown, but hope to return to live events soon.
The Reid family is grateful to everyone who has supported the charity thus far and hope to welcome supporters at upcoming events soon.
If you would like to donate or find out more, you can visit the websites http://loveamy.co.uk/ and https://aermusicni.weebly.com/
You can also follow @LoveAmyNI and @AERmusicni on Facebook and Instagram
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