'My angel will be remembered for her kindness'

Maria Sellick died at the age of 17 after suffering a sudden cardiac arrest

When Maria Sellick was still alive, her dad Santino would jokingly tell her he'd walk from London to Wolverhampton for her.

Three years after her death at the age of 17, he will be doing just that to mark what would have been her 21st birthday.

It's part of the 43-year-old's mission to do as much charity work as he can - his way of paying tribute to Maria's kind-hearted nature.

"We want her to be remembered for her positivity, infectious laugh and for helping others," Mr Sellick said.

Maria suffered a sudden cardiac arrest on 29 November 2021 while she was walking home in Wolverhampton after a day of work experience at a local school.

Speaking to BBC Radio WM, Mr Sellick remembered his wife calling to say Maria had not returned at the time she was supposed to.

While he was driving back, he stopped his car three streets away from his house "for some unknown reason".

"I saw blue flashing lights. Something inside me just said 'follow that' and it led me to her. She was in the back of an ambulance getting CPR," Mr Sellick said.

Mr Sellick said his daughter was "an angel" who wanted to look after people

The family would find out three months later that her death was caused by a hole in her heart, which she was born with.

Mr Sellick said she stopped having it checked when she was two years old, as doctors told the family it "would not have an adverse effect on her life".

He said the family were grief stricken "for months and months" and he would constantly ask himself why it happened.

"She was an angel," he said. "All she did was smile, laugh – she had an infectious laugh – and she just wanted to look after people who were less fortunate than herself.

"We were just stuck in this dark bubble of grief."

Maria Sellick's family have been raising money in her memory

But after he received a delivery of gift boxes, sent by other families who had suffered loss, Mr Sellick started to channel his grief into something else.

He has since dedicated himself to fundraising in Maria's name and has raised more than £3,000 for Wightwick Hall School, which she used to attend.

The school itself has also created the Maria Award, which recognises "the spirit of being a good friend, student and role model".

But with 7 January 2025 approaching - Maria's 21st birthday - Mr Sellick said he was determined to do something special.

Santino Sellick is going to walk from London to Wolverhampton for charity

"I always said to Maria when she was alive, as banter, that I would walk from London for her – I wouldn't need a bus fare, I wouldn't need a car," he said.

"As it was approaching her 21st birthday, I thought 'what can I do?' and all of a sudden, in my head I heard 'I'll walk from London for you'. So that's what I'm doing."

Mr Sellick's 124-mile (200km) route will begin at Trafalgar Square on 2 January and he is aiming to be back home on 7 January.

"There are going to be no hotels, no restaurants for food, or anything like that because we want to experience the hardship," he added.

The money raised will go towards the Maria's Legacy fundraiser

He said he would take a tent to sleep in and wanted to highlight issues along the journey, including mental health and homelessness.

The money raised will go towards the Maria's Legacy fundraiser and support causes including Wightwick Hall School, Cardiac Risk in the Young (CRY) and care homes.

"We will try to always continue Maria's legacy… she's the inspiration behind everything," Mr Sellick said.