Christmas hampers filled with gifts delivered to Leeds Children's Hospital

Lilyana Myers has been working hard to help create 33 hand made hampers filled with gifts generously donated by people including her fellow pupils at Gateways School in Harewood.

Lilyana, of Alwoodley, visited the children's hospital with her friends Heidi Hogg, six, and four year old twins Ivy and Olive Adamson.

Kind-hearted Leeds girl, five, making Christmas hampers for Leeds Children's Hospital patients

The friends were among dozens of children who donated items including small toys, story books, colouring books and arts and crafts items.

Lilyana's mum Sam said: "People have been really generous by donating gifts.

"Lilyana wants to carry on doing some fundraising. We are not quite sure how yet but she definitely wants to carry on doing some kind of fundraising for the hospitals."

Lilyana, who has just turned six, made one hamper containing bath bombs for nurses who will be busy working at the hospital over the Christmas period.

She started her charitable work during the first lockdown after mum Sam sold some of Lilyana's old clothes and toys on ebay.

Lilyana's mum used the money she made to buy ingredients for Lilyana to make around 50 bath bombs and 150 cones filled with sweets, which were donated to Leeds Children';s Hospital and the Leeds Children's Charity.

Leeds Children's Charity reaches out to young victims of abuse in the hope of offering them the respite they need, away from the distress they face at home.

An Instagram page for 'Lilyana's Charity' led to growing support for the Christmas hamper appeal for Leeds Children's Hospital.

Lisa Beaumont, play manager a Leeds Children's Hospital, said: "We’re so grateful to Lilyana and her friends for putting so much time and effort into their very generous donation.

"It’s so touching to know that children as young as Lilyana are thinking about other children who will be spending Christmas in hospital.

"It was a real pleasure to meet Lilyana today and to receive all these beautiful hampers on behalf of Children and staff at Leeds Children’s Hospital.

"The hampers that Lilyana has donated will be quarantined and then distributed around the hospital. I know that they will being a lot of Christmas cheer and happiness to children and families who need it most. "

Due to the Covid-19 pandemic Leeds Children’s Hospital will not be able to accept individual drop-off donations and donors will not be able to visit the wards as they have done in previous years.

Leeds Children’s Hospital has created an online Wish List so members of the public can make a real difference to patients and their families at Christmas, by buying a gift without needing to leave the house.