The 16th Comic Relief Red Nose Day is being held today (Friday, March 24) and people are being encouraged to give generously to help projects like Caerphilly-based Parents of Partially Sighted Youngsters (POPSY).
POPSY is a support group for parents and carers of children who are blind or partially-sighted, have additional needs or life-limiting conditions. The group offers families friendship and support from others going through the same experiences, as well as the reassurance that there is always someone there for them.
The group was started in 2003 by Dr Tymandra Blewett-Silcock, whose daughter Poppy, 14, has Warburg Micro Syndrome, a rare genetic disorder which causes sight problems as well as affecting the development of the brain. The condition means Poppy is blind and unable to walk or talk. Tymandra founded the project to empower other families facing similar challenges who need a place to go to for advice and help. The project has grown from supporting 20 local families to hundreds of families across South Wales.
Comic Relief funding supports POPSY’s running costs, including the printing of its regular newsletters.
Tymandra Blewett-Silcock said: “I set up POPSY to show other families with children who are blind or who have complex medical conditions that support is out there.
“My daughter and all the amazing families we have met over the last 14 years are the inspiration for wanting to help as many people as possible, whether by subsidising trips or simply by showing them that there is someone out there who understands what they are going through.”