Storybook Dads

Sitting on the train, on his way home from school each day, my dad would always look up at Wormwood Scrubs, one of London’s most infamous prisons. Its high walls and foreboding front gates. He wondered about what went on inside and what the prisoners had done to end up in there. I suppose it served as an incentive for him to work hard at school?

RIP Oliver & God Bless

I only met Oliver Thomas on a few occasions. Three times perhaps over a period of about five years and yet he made such a lasting impression on me and I imagine everyone else he ever encountered. His dad, Mick is a TV director who I had worked with and known for many years. I was vaguely aware that his son, Oliver was not very well. He had a disease I had never heard of and having never met Oliver, it all rather passed me by.

 

That disease was EB, a most cruel and vicious disease and which finally took Oliver from his loving parents, Sarah and Mick and his sister Sian.  Oliver was 32, no age for an ordinary life but an extraordinary duration against the cruel odds of EB. Oliver survived much longer than his parents could have hoped for or the medics might have predicted. But his survival is bitter sweet because EB inflicts such enormous and very obvious pain and yet Mick never tired of explaining that Oliver never once complained about his lot. This is a remarkable sign of his strength and fortitude and also the love that he was enveloped in by his family.

 

It has been an altogether peculiar and often sad year. It began with lockdown and uncertainly and it is set to close in the same way. A mid-term reprieve not enough for many people to salvage what can be considered a good year. For Tom, his year ends strongly with the release of No Way Home and its reception from his legions of fans is a good reminder to Nikki and I of how fortunate we are. But during 2021 Tom was also able to complete another film and one that featured Oliver Thomas and his brave story. EBRP is an American charity with bold ambitions to cure EB by the end of this decade and why Tom was happy to front their online telethon which raised more than $2m for the cause. Sufferers like James Dunn, Freddie Fincham and now Oliver Thomas are young men who we have encountered through the Brothers Trust and witnessed first-hand their determination to help future children blighted with EB. Just like James and Freddie, Oliver lived his life as big as was possible and he did not die in vain. The clever people in white coats are inspired to defeat EB by people like Oliver.

 

For the EBRP film, Harry and I visited the Thomas home, not far from where we live. Sarah’s love and pride for Oliver was palpable and rightly so. His death is a great loss to the family even though they knew to expect it with his terminal diagnosis with a skin cancer. Oliver loved his football and he loved his life. It was an honour to have him along to our screening days with Tom and to see him at celebrity golf days that his dad had organised and how I first encountered EB.

 

He will be sorely missed by many but at least now and finally, his unrelenting pain is over.

 

God Bless Oliver Thomas.

The Launch of The Brothers Trust Hoodie to shine a light and support Children’s Cancer Awareness Month. #CCAM

There are lots of things to love about our hoodies and not just that they are warm and cosy.

We love that all the proceeds are going to Momentum Children’s Charity – a charity that helps children suffering with life-limiting conditions and supports their families in many crucial ways but also we love that our hoodies are Made in England.

You're a Star

Those emails that we all receive about another cause and yet another fundraising effort!

Well, this is one such message and we make apologies because it is really rather special and heartfelt…

Introducing Star Keeble, the 12 year big sister to Ray Keeble, who was born last July with EB, a disease that the Brothers Trust wants the world to know about so that the necessary funds can be raised so that a cure can be found.

Introducing St. Francis Center and Sister Christina

To reflect the amount of support for The Brothers Trust from North America, we have wanted to find a new charity Stateside to support. A family friend, Marlene who has long settled living in California and has an excellent track record of introductions (she introduced Dom’s sister to her husband) and she provided us with three charities which fitted our mission statement and including St. Francis Center in Fair Oaks neighbourhood, Redwood City.

Thailand - where it all started

It will come as no surprise that the Holland family has a special affinity with Thailand and particularly so for Tom and his bothers.

It is rare that a family gets to spend three months in such a beautiful place and during such a formative time in their young lives.

Visiting the numerous orphanages in Thailand, many of which were established after the 2004 tsunami (on which The Impossible is based) we became aware of Thailand’s complex social problems and we have long intended that The Brothers Trust should find a worthy organisation for us to support.

Introducing Warm Heart Worldwide

Sam chats with Phoebe who is bravely fighting cancer

Many of us will be willing away 2020 but some more than others and particularly so a family of four from Twickenham. Meet the Fulford-Browns. Parents, Nick and Hannah and their two daughters Phoebe and Sasha.

In the autumn of 2019, their eldest Phoebe was complaining of a sore knee. Not uncommon for an active thirteen year on the cusp of adulthood. Just growing pains. The normal aches and pains that we all get and we all walk off. The pain will go, only it didn’t.

Our first In-Vision...

The purpose of these podcasts (in-vision) is to demonstrate to our supporters where your money is being spent.

In this episode, Sam sits down with Emma Hallam of a worthy and important charity called Alex’s Wish who will benefit from our latest campaign and the launch of the first Brothers Trust mug. Which might even proudly feature your design if you enter our competition via our website and runs until the 1st November 2020

We hope you enjoy hearing about Alex’s hope and Emma’s ambitions for her charity and from this gain a better understanding of the good we can achieve with your support.

Come on people, let’s do this…

This is not an easy post to write. I feel a need to write with some haste but with great care also because the tone needs to be correct: arresting yet affirming but not mawkish.

An important post; I make no apology that it is longer than my usual fare. You will understand why soon enough. Please read it carefully and if you are inclined to share it, then thank you.

DO FISH FART?

The Massive Marvel Online Pub Quiz

Tom’s appearance on Jimmy Kimmel last night rather caught us out with our plans for a Massive Marvel quiz. As with Jig Saw Wars, this is it not a fund-raiser but more a community building exercise for people across the world who might be struggling for things to do at this time and indeed to feel part of something. Everyone is very welcome and the more the merrier as we say in the UK.

Okay, here is the plan.