GAVIN & STACEY STARS’ MESSAGE FOR IZZY AS SHE MARKS EARLY CHRISTMAS
A GAVIN & Stacey fan who may not live to see the Christmas special due to a terminal illness has received a touching message from Nessa and Uncle Bryn.
Izzy Withers, who began suffering with terrible migraines, was found to have a brain tumour last September at the age of just 16.
Despite undergoing radiotherapy, as well as having countless scans, biopsies and a permanent brain shunt implant, she is now receiving end-oflife care at Ty Hafan children’s hospice in Sully, Vale of Glamorgan.
It dawned on the Ty Hafan team that Izzy, now 17, may not live to see the eagerly-anticipated Gavin & Stacey Christmas special which was being filmed across South Wales.
So they decided to hold an early Christmas Day at the hospice in her honour, complete with Santa, a Christmas tree, festive jumpers, pigs in blankets and even a pantomime.
And as a special surprise, Ruth Jones and Rob Brydon sent their own “Merry Christmas” video message to the teenager as Nessa and Uncle Bryn.
Following the message, nurses and staff then dressed up to perform their own version of the Gavin & Stacey Christmas special.
Tracy Jones, head of community services and partnerships at Ty Hafan, said: “Izzy is such a special young lady and it’s so important that we’re able to put a smile on her face during this difficult time and provide opportunities for the whole family to create special memories.
“For children and young people with life-limiting conditions, there is always a chance that they may not be able to enjoy special days in the year like birthdays, Easter or Christmas – and that’s why it’s so important for Ty Hafan to hold days like this one, no matter what time of the year.
“It’s also wonderful to see the whole charity come together to make events like these possible. The play and community teams gather all of the staff together so everyone has a part to play, whether it’s scripting, performing, cooking, managing activities, and it’s this collaboration that creates a magical day.”
Since learning of her terminal diagnosis, Izzy, from Risca, decided to create a bucket list of aspirations which caught the eye of several big showbiz names, including James Cordon and Ruth Jones.
After discovering she was a big fan of Gavin & Stacey, James and Ruth filmed a sneak peak video message, allowing Izzy to have a first glimpse of the actors rehearsing the Christmas episode.
While on set, the actors have since sent several videos of support to help lift Izzy’s spirits – and Ruth Jones even paid a special visit to the hospice earlier this summer to meet her.
Izzy is also planning to tick another wish off her list this weekend by attending her very own music festival, called Izzyfest, on Sunday.
The festival has been set up by the organiser of Glastonselfy, Jayne Jeremiah, who has arranged the entire thing in just a couple of weeks to make sure it takes place while Izzy feels well enough.
■ Izzyfest is taking place this Sunday at Cross Keys Rugby Club from 11am-11pm and tickets can be purchased online for £10 at tickettailor. com/events/izzyfest/
■ The best moments as filming wraps for the Gavin & Stacey Christmas special: Pages 24&25