Raising funds for our ray of sunshine

On 8 September 2017, our hearts were broken when we lost Jess McEnroe – a dear friend and member of Drummond Central.

Jess suffered from a very rare illness called ‘Mixed Connective Tissue Disease’ which meant her immune system was slowly attacking her body. This often led to emergency admissions to hospital. Although this tired Jess, she always approached life with a stoic smile.

Unexpectedly, having celebrated a pre-birthday meal with her family, Jess was taken to hospital after feeling unwell. Within 12 hours, she had died of sepsis – 10 hours short of her 27th birthday. ‘Unpredictable Sunshine’ was the name of the blog Jess was planning to start to help others who suffered from the same illness. 

In the six years she worked at DC, she filled our days with sunshine. She was part of our family and woven into the fabric of Drummond Central. It was difficult not to belly laugh in her company, and her smiley face is something we’ll always remember. 

We can't say thank you enough to those who have donated and helped us fundraise. We’ve already reached a massive £50,000 through movie nights, quizzes, bake-offs, running (a lot of running), and much more. We’re incredibly proud, and we know our Jess would be too. 

But we’re not finished yet. We’re aiming to get to £75,000.

Introducing, DC Versus. We’re kicking this off with our very own designer Lee Peacock bravely committing to a tattoo designed by one lucky friend. We’ll also be versing:

• The Allendale Challenge

• A 24 hour gaming marathon 

• Coast to Coast

Watch this space, because there’s plenty more events coming your way, all in the name of making a difference to those affected by sepsis.

Sepsis accounts for at least 8 million deaths worldwide each year, taking more lives than bowel, breast and prostate cancer combined — so make sure to get involved and donate. With your support, the trust can help others stay and shine a little bit longer. 

We miss Jess very much, and this is our way of making sure her memory lives on.