Phil & Wendy Hewlitt

As trustees our history with Hannah started from the age of 3 when for the next 20 years we provided respite care for this quite remarkable young lady. Over this time our two families  became closer and closer, Hannah paid us the great privilege of calling us mum and dad 2.

Her life was physically and emotionally very hard. From day one and over the years she would go through many difficult periods ,countless surgeries and visits to GOSH and other hospitals. What always amazed us was her ability to reinvent herself when failing health took away so much from her. To say she was inspirational is too simplistic. She had the capacity to enrich the lives of all who she came into contact with-she touched us. This is a great gift and found rarely in people. Hannah came into our lives as a family at a very difficult time for us. People say we gave a lot to her over the years but we got back tenfold-we were blessed to have known her.

This charity was Hannah’s wish as she felt (and those around her could see) that she often had to fight those inner demons with little specialised support, particularly at certain transitional periods in her life. She wanted the charity to be her legacy. The glass half full/half empty model did not apply to Hannah, her glass had a teaspoon of water yet was overflowing. I worked with young people for 35 years and have never seen someone eke so much out of life having been given so little.