Ammanford family share story for Tŷ Hafan fundraiser

Tŷ Hafan is launching its When Your World Stops fundraising appeal with the aim of raising £350,000 in just 60 hours and at the heart of the appeal is the story of Ammanford-born Alfi Jay Morris.

Alfi died on March 1, 2015, shortly before his second birthday, leaving behind his parents Sara and Jason Morris and his twin sister Besi Jane who is now 10.

Besi and Alfi at Ty Hafan (Image: Ty Hafan)

The twins were born on May 1, 2013, after years of gruelling IUI and IVF treatments and Sara said that their life became perfect in those few seconds but it didn’t last long.

“Within an hour of our beloved babies’ arrival, Alfi became very poorly and was rushed to the baby unit.

“The next few months became a blur. Alfi had been diagnosed with Neonatal Marfan Syndrome and we knew his prognosis wasn’t good,” said Sara.

“Life with the twins was precious and we tried to make as many memories as we could.”

When Alfi and Besi were nine-months old, they were recommended to go to Tŷ Hafan hospice and had a short stay just before Christmas 2014. The family were able to relax a little as they knew that Alfi’s medical needs would be cared for.

Sara said: “At Tŷ Hafan, me and Jason had the opportunity to spend time with the twins.

“For the first time, we didn’t need to set out alarms, worry about medication or worry about forgetting to pack all of Alfi’s medical equipment. The responsibility was taken away.

“That weekend will stay with us forever. We played in the park, swam in the hydrotherapy pool, visited Santa and ate Christmas dinner as a family. Alfi even ventured off on his own with his one-to-one nurse carer to see Anna, Elsa, Olaf and Santa.

“From that moment on, Tŷ Hafan became a huge part of our lives.”

Alfi died peacefully in Jason’s arms on March 1, 2015, and the family have been supported by the hospice, regularly visiting the hospice and having support from their family support worker.

“Since his passing, Tŷ Hafan has been a huge support to us. We continue to have support from our family support worker, and we know that Tŷ Hafan is there for us whenever and however we need them.

“We visit Tŷ Hafan on a regular basis. I can’t begin to describe what Tŷ Hafan means to us as a family, but one thing I do know is I will be eternally grateful for the memories they have allowed us to make to this day.”

Jason, Besi and Sara now. (Image: Ty Hafan)

Tŷ Hafan supports children with life threatening and life-limiting conditions and their families and the energy bill for the charity has been hit hard, rising from £100,000 to £400,000 in the last year. This latest appeal to raise vital funds for the charity aims to raise the £300,000 gap in just 60 hours.

Lynne Phelps, head of family wellbeing and outreach services at the hospice, said: “We know how much a family’s world changes when a child is diagnosed with a life-shortening condition.

“It changes again when they realise they must consider end-of-life care and again when their child dies.

“Tŷ Hafan is here to provide endless support to families from the first moment their world changes.

“We can’t give those children more time, but with the help and generosity of our amazing supporters old and new, Tŷ Hafan can give children in Wales and their families the support they need to make a short life a full life and, when the time comes, provide ongoing bereavement care.”

John Lowes, head of fundraising, said: “This is a crucial fundraising campaign for us, and we are immensely grateful to the Morris family for their bravery and generosity in sharing their story to help us raise as much money as possible.”
The appeal will go live at 10am on Sunday, November 26 and will run until 10pm on Tuesday, November 28 and all donations made during that time will be match-funded, so one donation will have double the impact. Anyone can fundraiser in any way that suits them, whether individually or as a group. Donations can be made at www.charityextra.com/whenyourworldstops or by calling 02920 532255.

“To get involved, please sign up to be an appeal champion now and share information about the appeal on your social media and with friends, family, colleagues and neighbours so that we can let as many people know as possible that it is happening.