Our Big Raffle winner has been drawn, and Laura from Maidstone – whose daughter has been supported by Demelza – is the lucky winner of £10,000!

Demelza is pleased to announce the winner of The Big Raffle – congratulations Laura from Maidstone! Laura and her family have actually been supported by Demelza since 2013; Laura shares what this win and Demelza’s support mean to her.

“We’ve been supported by Demelza since Kaddeisha was only a little girl; she has a rare chromosome abnormality that affects her in lots of ways. She’s deaf and blind, she needs a tracheostomy (an opening in her throat to help her breathe), and she’s non-mobile to name a few. Even with her condition she’s a little ball of joy, she’s always so happy and is always living her best life.

When we bought tickets to Demelza’s Big Raffle, we just saw it as supporting a good cause and giving a bit of money back to a charity that’s really helped us. I never thought we would win £10,000 – but that’s exactly what’s happened!

When I got the phone call telling me we’d won, I honestly couldn’t believe it. I know that’s what people always say, but I really couldn’t – I told the lady on the phone that it wasn’t true! Even when the money came into my account it was hard to come to terms with, it will just be life-changing for us.

I had been looking at some equipment for Kaddeisha, specifically some sensory play equipment to improve her quality of life – it’s a mat you can lay on the floor that vibrates and has lights and music, it’s such a lovely sensory experience. The only problem is that we wouldn’t be able to afford it in a million years, as the second something is for children with complex needs, the price shoots up by ten times. I’d given up on buying that until we won this money, but now it’s the first thing I’m getting for her. My son also wants his room redone, so he’ll get a share in our win as well!

We’re also going to put some money aside because realistically, Kaddeisha might not live a very long life. She’s 14 now and is very happy but if the time comes when she deteriorates suddenly, we’ve always been worried about funeral costs and everything that goes with that. Now, with £10,000 in the bank, we can put aside a big chunk so that we can give her a proper send-off! We would want to celebrate her life and this money will ensure we can. That’s the reality for lots of families like ours, and Demelza understands that better than anyone.

This truly is a life-changing win for us – we’re so grateful to Demelza for everything they’ve done and continue to do for us.”