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Five years ago, ice hockey fan Chris Thomas, from Caerphilly, lost his four-year-old daughter, Scarlett, to a condition so rare it didn’t even have a name.

Last month, Chris took part in a charity ice hockey tournament to raise money for Ty Hafan, the charity that supported his family throughout Scarlett’s illness.

Born in 2014, Scarlett was diagnosed with a rare chromosomal condition.

At seven months old, Scarlett, Chris and mum Clair Partridge began receiving support from Ty Hafan. 

After Scarlett died in September 2018, Clair and Chris have raised more than £25,000 for the charity in their own right. 

The annual UK Charity All Stars tournament, which was held at Cardiff’s Ice Arena Wales between July 29 and July 30, saw teams representing eight different charities – with Ty Hafan’s team finishing fourth and raising £19,000 for their charity.

A devoted Cardiff Devils fan, the tournament was the first time Chris had ever played ice hockey – and he did so wearing the team jersey with Scarlett’s badge on his chest while partner Clair cheered him on from the sidelines.

Speaking before the tournament, Chris said: “We have watched and supported All Stars for years. From the moment of Scarlett’s lap on the ice with the team captain James, we were hooked and have supported with fundraising ever since.”

The Ty Hafan All Stars team have been playing in the tournament since 2016 and have raised more than £75,000 since.

Helen Morgan, senior community fundraiser for Ty Hafan, said: “We are so grateful to the team for their continued support for our charity, raising thousands of pounds for us year after year.

“Lots of Ty Hafan families received guest tickets to attend the matches and there was a great turnout to support the team.

“Staff and volunteers were also there to cheer them on. It was a huge pleasure to join the crowd in cheering the teams on over the weekend – we were all so proud of our Ty Hafan team and congratulations to the Barbarians team who won the tournament this year.”