BBC Children in Need & Emily’s trail of smiles

The Brittle Bone Society was thrilled to be one of 4 UK Charities selected to feature on the BBC Children In Need Rocks Manchester concert on Thursday 17^th November. The film featured 7 year old Emily Kidd from Edinburgh who has Osteogenesis Imperfecta.

The film explained how mum Melanie wasn’t able to hold her child for a year when she was born for fear her fragile bones would break. At the family’s darkest moment they were told she may never be able to sit up and support herself, she would need 24 hour care and would be in bed on her back for the rest of life. That is why seeing her in the BBC film was so wonderful – as she looked so happy and bright and full of life.

Emily wasn’t able to attend the BBC concert due to recent painful fractures to her bones, but was thoroughly impressed and quite awestruck to meet Aston Merrygold from JLS for the BBC film who commented on her winning smile and praised the contribution from the Charity’s Support Worker Jill Murdoch, Jill made sure she paid a visit to Emily the day before the concert to personally deliver a special little Pudsey Bear.

BBS Chief Exec Patricia said “To get support from BBC Children in Need to help fund our much needed Support Worker is amazing, this ensures we can offer the service needed to families like Emily's across the UK. The chance to be viewed by millions via the BBC means so many more people will know and understand what living with OI is all about. The Charity’s main work focuses on fundraising for help to pay for wheelchairs, like the one they helped fundraise for that Emily used in the programme. They can cost thousands of pounds – but are vital to a person’s quality of life, as Emily clearly demonstrated.

The Charity have had an exciting, eventful year, being selected for a slot on the much prized BBC Radio 4 Charity Appeal planned for February 2012, meaning we will gain yet more awareness and hopefully more supporters who will help us raise much needed funds to carry on our vital work.

The Brittle Bone Society is excited at the prospect of enlisting the help of a famous celebrity to handle our script for the radio appeal, but the final arrangements have yet to be confirmed – Watch this space!