A charitable Christmas appeal set up by AH Mertons Opticians has resulted in hundreds of gifts being donated to patients at children’s hospitals.
The appeal was set up by the Valli Group practice in support of William’s Gift, a charity launched by the parents of six year old William Fenton.
William was born with a rare form of Hirschsprung’s disease and was on the transplant register for a new bowel, liver and stomach for four months before he died in December, 2019.
AH Mertons Opticians supported William’s Gift by encouraging donations of toys and books for children or care packages for parents through the William’s Christmas Smile Appeal.
The practice made their shop front in the Birchwood Shopping Centre a drop off point for gifts and an Amazon wishlist was also created.
James Houlihan, performance manager at AH Mertons Opticians, said: ‘I would like to say a huge thank you for the kind generosity given over the last five weeks from the customers and staff of Birchwood Shopping Centre, the community of Warrington and further afield, our incredible loyal patients, our friends and colleagues of BNI Focus and our teams in Valli Opticians Group. Every single one of you will have put a smile on the face of a child in hospital this Christmas.’
William’s Gift collected the presents and delivered them to Alder Hey Children’s Hospital, Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital and the children’s ward at Warrington Hospital.