Oswestry girl chosen as face of hospice Christmas campaign

Nurse Jo Boden is among the staff at Hope House who help care for Amelia

A five-year-old girl has been chosen to front a Christmas fundraising campaign for a children's hospice charity.

Amelia, from Oswestry in Shropshire, is on the front of thousands of envelopes being sent out to supporters of Hope House Children's Hospice.

She has a hole in her heart and leaky valves, as well as Down's syndrome, and has respite care at the hospice.

Her parents, Charlotte and Dave, said their daughter "couldn't be in better hands".

The couple were told during a routine midwife appointment at 34-weeks that their unborn baby was not growing as well as she should be.

During a specialist scan, it was discovered she had a heart condition, which Charlotte said was a "huge shock".

Amelia's heart condition was discovered at a 34-week scan

Amelia was born weighing just 3lbs 10oz (1.6kg) and taken to intensive care, where the heart condition and Down's syndrome was confirmed.

She underwent surgery, and after six weeks Amelia was allowed home, but needed oxygen to breathe. Soon after she was readmitted to hospital and her first Christmas was spent in intensive care.

Her parents said they found their lives taken over by her care.

At one time they lived out of a camper van in a hospital car park so they could remain close her, when they were referred to Hope House, near their home in Oswestry.

Amelia's parents say the care she has at Hope House is "the only full-on break we get"

"It was somewhere to come where Amelia could do new things like go swimming and see other children, and just play and do normal things," her mother said.

"We also know we could come here if we are struggling at any time - for instance, if Amelia's feeding peg came out we wouldn't have to go to the hospital," Dave added.

Amelia is still on medication, but is not currently at a point where she needs more surgery.