Birthday party in memory of Leeds woman Gemma Sisson raises £9k to save Sue Ryder Wheatfields Hospice

Gemma tragically died in July last year, 10 weeks after she was admitted to Sue Ryder Wheatfields Hospice with terminal secondary cancer.

Last weekend, on what would have been her 40th birthday, her friends organised a 40-hour virtual party, inviting people to put on their best outfits and dance around their kitchens.

A huge line-up of 24 DJs, including Utah Saints, Miguel Campbell and Danny Bond, gave up their time to play for free over the three-day event.

Donations flooded in on a JustGiving page and more than £9,000 has been raised for Sue Ryder, which has warned the pandemic has had a "devastating impact" on its funding.

Gemma's friend Paul Metcalfe, who DJs under the alias Campo, organised the event and was blown away by the support.

The 42-year-old said: "Thanks to all the DJs for their support and time, it's not as easy as it looks!

"And thanks to everyone else behind the scenes that helped us pull this off.

"We've raised more than £10,000 for the fantastic Wheatfields Hospice, everyone's generosity and positive messages throughout the three days was mind-blowing.

"There was a lot of love flying around in memory of Gemma."

Gemma was diagnosed with incurable secondary cancer in September 2019, just months after being given the verdict of 'no evidence of active disease'.

She was admitted to Wheatfields Hospice in May 2020 after her condition deteriorated, where she tied the knot with fiance Ricky Moore.

Staff decorated a room in the hospice and even brought in a cake and make-up artist for the special day, which was attended by Gemma's parents.

Gemma sadly died on July 22 and Ricky has vowed to keep fundraising for Wheatfields Hospice to make sure it can continue to support other families in the future.

More than £44,000 has now been raised by Gemma's family and friends through fundraising events.

Ricky said: "No matter how much pain Gemma was in all she cared about was if everybody else was okay.

"In the last months of her life, she spent every minute making sure I was going to be alright when she was gone. She really was the most selfless and loving person imaginable.

“I can’t thank Wheatfields enough for the amazing care – it really was another level.

"There was such humanity, they really genuinely care about each individual as a person and they couldn’t have done any more for us.

"In every aspect, they went over and above and they made a horrible time as good as it could be for us.

"I know Wheatfields really needs that support with fundraising at the moment so in honour of Gem I’m going to do a fundraising event for Wheatfields every single year now. "

Kirsty Christmas, community fundraising manager at Wheatfields Hospice, said: "A huge thank you to Gemma's friends for planning this spectacular virtual event to celebrate her life and raise much-needed funds for Sue Ryder Wheatfields Hospice.

"The coronavirus pandemic is having a devastating impact on our funding and we remain heavily reliant on voluntary income from companies, trusts and foundations and individuals donating and fundraising for us.

"We are so grateful to Gemma's family and friends, who had already raised over £34,000 to support our vital work and help us continue to be there when it matters for local people and their families.''

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