Leicestershire parents take on Snowdon in memory of son

The parents of a 17-year-old who died last year from a brain tumour are raising funds for our charity in his memory.

Matty Hatton, of Mountsorrel, battled the illness for six years with great bravery and always with a smile.

During that time, Matty was cared for at Rainbows. His parents, Alison and Steve, are now climbing Mount Snowdon, the highest peak in Wales, to raise money for us.

“When Matty was here, we worked through his bucket list,” said Alison. “Then you realise that life is so short, so it is important to do the things you want to and climbing Snowdon is on my bucket list.

“Rainbows means everything to us. We will never stop being grateful and will never feel that we can pay back for the support we received at Rainbows.

“The end of life care Matty had was second to none. No one wants their child to die but if you had to choose a death, being at Rainbows would be it. They did everything we asked for and it was such a safe place for us. When Matty wasn’t well, he was so well looked after.

“Over the years we have done so much with Rainbows and Matty did so many things there. We made some amazing memories. So for us, Snowdon is a little bit of giving something back.”

Instead of asking for sponsorship for their challenge, Alison and Steve, who also have a daughter, Molly (24), organised a Curry Evening which raised over £3,000.

“The Curry Evening was great,” said Alison. “It was so worth it as everyone enjoyed it and it was a lot of fun. It was a great way to raise money and we got to see lots of people. We would like to thank everyone who came and supported us.

It costs over £6million a year for us to run our services. We care for more than 300 babies, children and young people with serious and terminal illnesses, and their families.

Clare Hoggan, Rainbows Events Fundraiser, added: “We are so pleased that Alison and Steve will be joining us for the Snowdon trek. It will be a wonderful day and people who have done this challenge in previous years have always said how much they enjoy it.

“Matty’s story highlights the importance of what we do at Rainbows and we hope others feel inspired to support us.”