Taste of luxury for CHUF charity
A Sunderland couple are serving up a taste of Dubai to raise vital funds for one of the region’s best-known children’s units.
Fundraising husband and wife Sergio and Emma Petrucci are hosting a Dubai-inspired lunch at Ramside Hall later this month as they step up their efforts to raise money for The Children’s Heart Unit at the Freeman Hospital (CHUF).
The Ashbrooke couple – who founded Red Sky Ball – have organised the charity brunch to bring in more cash, that will go towards funding lifesaving equipment for young children with heart problems.
The event will take place on Sunday and has attracted support from a number of commercial partners including main sponsor Emirates, whose backing inspired the event’s Dubai theme.
Sergio and Emma began fundraising for CHUF after their daughter Luna was born with a heart condition that meant she required lifesaving surgery two years ago.
They’ve already raised more than £125,000 in just over 18 months and hope to continue with a range of events and activities that will help buy further equipment.
Sergio, who also has a son, Enzo, said: “We always ask the unit for a wish list of items they require, whether it be to support The Freeman, Sunderland Royal or James Cooke Hospital – and this time the aim of our next Red Sky Ball event is to raise money that will buy a new Heart Transplant Care System.
“It’s incredible to think of the difference we can make to so many little people’s lives and those of their family by doing this.
“Seeing Luna undergo her operation was one of the most horrendous days of our lives, but witnessing the absolutely amazing work of doctors and nurses who cared for her was so inspiring and Emma and I knew we had to do something to give back to them, and to the hospital.
“This is our way of doing that.”
The Organ Care System that Red Sky Ball plans to buy will allow donated organs – particularly for heart transplants – to remain viable for up to 24 hours. Current machines can only keep a heart healthy for four hours.
Over 300 children each year are cared for at the heart unit, 20 will receive heart transplants and over 7,000 will return for outpatient visits.
Ten per cent of the youngsters under treatment are from the Wearside area.
“Ultimately, supporting CHUF to buy this machine means that many more donated hearts will be viable and many more babies and children’s lives can be saved with the help of all of those who make our Red Sky efforts a success,” added Sergio.
Emma said: “Having seen first-hand how the vital money raised from fundraising is used, we set about creating Red Sky Ball and it’s taken us all by surprise.
“We’ve been astounded with the success we have achieved, and every single penny of profit raised goes directly to fund the purchase of state-of-the-art machinery that the NHS and CHUF are in urgent need of.”
Chris Gray, CEO at CHUF, said: “We continue to be astounded by the incredible passion shown by the Petrucci family in their quest to raise funds to support many more families whose children require cardiac care.
“We couldn’t be more thrilled to receive this level of support.”
The event has already sold out, and will take place during National Transplant Week. Guests will be treated to an afternoon of free-flowing Prosecco and the finest food from land and sea.
“There will also be a special DJ set by legendary 90’s club DJ Brandon Block.
“Additional support has been secured from sponsors including Specsavers, Barclays, Mercedes Benz of Sunderland, Poetic Licence, Everyone Active and Ramside Hall Hotel ensuring all money raised is donated to CHUF.”
John Adamson, owner of Ramside Hall Hotel, said: “Having heard Sergio’s story of how his beautiful daughter, Luna, had a lifesaving heart operation, I’ve been touched by how he and wife Emma have dedicated their own time and effort to raise funds to help other children at the Freeman Hospital with similar conditions as Luna.
“It’s therefore an honour to be asked and to be able to help raise money for such a worthy cause, and I really hope everyone digs deep and gives generously to help raise a large amount of money for such a fantastic cause.”