Proud to Support Amelia's Rainbow
Created: 2/18/2025
Amelia's Rainbow
Amelia's Rainbow is a Dorset-based children's charity. Although relatively small, the charity makes a huge difference to children living with a diagnosed serious and complex chronic condition, life-limiting condition or children receiving palliative care across Dorset, Bournemouth, Poole and Christchurch.
About Amelia
Amelia-Grace Cooper was born on October 27, 2001. A lively, curious child, she quickly formed connections with everyone at nursery. Her bright eyes, cheeky smile, and flowing brown curls made her stand out. Amelia thrived at school, and as she grew, she became increasingly independent, making her own decisions about clothes, friends, and her ambitions. Her natural empathy and desire to help others, such as buying from Big Issue vendors, showed her deep understanding of the world beyond her years.
Amelia was passionate about sports, dancing, singing, and drama. However, when she complained of leg pain, her parents initially assumed it was due to growing pains and activity. But after numerous tests, Amelia was diagnosed with stage 4 Neuroblastoma, a life-threatening cancer. Despite the severity of her condition, she faced treatments like chemotherapy and surgery with resilience, even riding around the hospital on her drip stand with a smile. Her recovery was remarkable, and she went into remission, returning to school and activities. However, after a few months, the cancer returned, and her parents faced the heartbreaking decision of how to proceed.
Amelia chose to undergo lower-dose chemotherapy rather than more intensive treatments. With the time she had left with her family and friends, unforgettable memories were created, including a trip to Euro Disney, a visit to the Harry Potter studios, and a journey to Lourdes. Amelia’s strength and determination were evident throughout. However, tragically Amelia passed away peacefully on June 24, 2010, surrounded by family. Her legacy lives on through Amelia's Rainbow, which offers other children across Dorset the chance to create lasting memories.
How does Amelia's Rainbow help other children?
Amelia's Rainbow provides the following support:
- Rainbow Gifts - Parents can apply to the charity to fund a gift or experience. The only limit to what can be requested is imagination.
- Amelia's Retreat and Amelia's Haven - Holiday homes in East Dorset and Poole provide families (including those who require wheelchair accessible breaks) with opportunities spend time together away from home and away from hospital. Each home offers 40 holidays per year free of charge.
- Beach Hut - Conveniently located on Bournemouth's seafront, the beach hut offers families an opportunity to spend time at the beach with a convenient space to store equipment and opportunities to visit the beach without the scramble for beach space!
- Toy Appeal - Each Christmas an army of volunteer elves deliver hand picked personalised sacks of presents to children and their siblings across Dorset.