Carole Hughes, Co-founder of our Member Charity Anna’s Hope, found herself the subject of a big surprise when she visited the Chelsea Flower Show earlier this week. Carole’s daughter Anna, who was lost to a brain tumour, was honoured as TV presenter Angelica Bell and national treasure, actor Joanna Lumley (pictured above with Rob, Carole and Sara, Anna's sister), named a beautiful gladioli in her memory. The gladioli was grown by Rob Evans of Pheasant Acre Plants, who also won a gold medal at the show this year.
Just 15 months after diagnosis, Anna passed away aged three years and eight months, in 2006. Since then, Carole (also pictured below) and husband Rob, who is Chair of our Board of Trustees, have dedicated themselves to fundraising to improve the rehabilitation of children and young people who have suffered from a brain tumour or had brain surgery.
Rob said: “Before we knew Anna was going to die, Carole and I vowed that we would try our best in the future to help those children with brain tumours and try to improve their chances of survival and rehabilitation. Anna’s death has given us extra purpose to achieve this goal, albeit an enormous challenge.”
You can watch the emotional special tribute to Carole at the Chelsea Flower Show on last night’s edition of The One Show on the BBC on catch-up here (around nine minutes into the programme). It serves to recognise the incredible work she and Rob have done through Anna’s Hope, for which we also offer up our heartfelt thanks.
Related reading:
