Belle J's quilt    (Quilt Completed)

Thank you

To all the amazing cross stitchers who dedicate hours upon hours of their own time to do this, you are truly amazing people. My little Belle has been through so much in the past three and a half years, and she is one incredibly brave little girl. She was so happy yesterday when she opened her parcel and couldn’t believe that 12 complete strangers she’d never met had taken the time to make her something so beautiful. She loves crafting and at the moment I’m teaching her how to knit, so she can really appreciate the time and effort that has gone into making her quilt. She sat for hours just looking at each and every square and she wants to show it to absolutely everyone, even the nurses at Great Ormond Street.

Thank you from the bottom of our hearts, this means more than you will ever know

Finished photos

Individual squares

Card

Stitched by: Donna Sharpe

Biography

Isabelle started school at age 5. Within a few month we noticed she had developed blisters on her finger joints and she had become very weak. Walking up the hill to school would take twice as long and she would feel exhausted. We eventually got a diagnosis, 3 months later at Great Ormond Street Hospital, where they told us she had a very rare muscle disease known as juvenile dermatomyositis. So rare in fact that it only affects 3 in 1 million children.
Isabelle has an injection every week in her upper leg, she has constant blood tests and tablets every day to keep the disease controlled. She is due to start blood infusions at GOSH which she'll have once a month. She is incredibly brave and we are all so proud of the way she deals with all of this at such a young age. She doesn't let it stop her and remains a very happy girl.