24 December 2010
Two players from Fulham Football Club brought a little piece of Christmas magic to young patients on the wards of Queen Mary’s Hospital for Children recently.
Players Clint Dempsey and Stephen Kelly paid a special visit to the children’s hospital, which is based at St Helier Hospital, to drop off Christmas gifts, sign posters and spend time chatting to the children and their families.
The gifts, which had been paid for by the players themselves, included a miniature guitar, soft toys and DVDs. The players also left a Santa’s sack of toys at the ward to be given out to children who are admitted over the festive period.
Clinical Director of women and children’s services at the Trust, Dr Rim El-Rifai, was on-hand to show the players around.
She said: "On behalf of our children, their families and the staff at Queen Mary’s, I would like to say a huge thank you to Fulham Football Club. Their visit not only showed a great commitment to the local community, but it also showed great generosity. The players gave up their time and wages to buy and deliver those gifts and we are all incredibly grateful.
"It was a touching thing to do, and we had lots of positive feedback from the children."
Midfielder Clint Dempsey, the American player who scored against England in the World Cup earlier this year, said: "As a father of two, I can only imagine how hard it must be to have a child in hospital, especially this close to Christmas. It’s great to be here and to bring a little bit of cheer to the kids. I hope that we’ve managed to lift their spirits and that they all enjoy their gifts."
Stephen Kelly, who plays in defence for the team, said: "Fulham Football Club have been visiting local hospitals and dropping off gifts for four years now, and I’m really happy to be a part of that. It’s an incredibly rewarding thing to do, and I hope that we’ve brought a smile to the faces of the children."
