Meet the adorable Sunderland siblings bringing smiles to care home residents during lockdown

A Sunderland brother and sister have brought smiles to the faces of care home residents across the city during lockdown.
Watch more of our videos on Shots! 
and live on Freeview channel 276
Visit Shots! now

Alfie Turley, 11, and Darcie Turley, five, wanted to do something to help others while they were staying home during the Covid-19 pandemic.

The siblings from Ryhope came up with the idea of delivering food and essential toiletries to care homes in Wearside as residents have to self-isolate.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Alfie was born at Sunderland Royal Hospital six weeks prematurely in August 2008 and was later diagnosed with a brain condition called hemispheric variant holoprosencephaly.

Alfie Turley, 11, and Darcie Turley, five, have made packs of essential items for Weaside care homes.Alfie Turley, 11, and Darcie Turley, five, have made packs of essential items for Weaside care homes.
Alfie Turley, 11, and Darcie Turley, five, have made packs of essential items for Weaside care homes.

Doctors told the family that he would never be able to walk or talk, but the Barbara Priestman Academy pupil went on to defy their expectations.

He managed to raised the funds for the care packs by getting mum Lizzie Turley to throw eggs at him in a sponsored challenge during the Easter holidays.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Meanwhile, his little sister Darcie, a pupil at Ryhope Infants, held online raffles to raise further funds through sponsorship.

Alfie and Lizzie Turley with care home staff as they dropped off the essential items.Alfie and Lizzie Turley with care home staff as they dropped off the essential items.
Alfie and Lizzie Turley with care home staff as they dropped off the essential items.

Together they raised £195 and sent dad Ryan, 34, to Home Bargains to buy the supplies.

With the help of mum Lizzie, 31, the family then dropped off the packs at Haddington Vale in Doxford Park, Sycamore Care Centre in Pennywell, Thornbury Care Home in Thorney Close and Archers Court in Farringdon – where their auntie Julie Fox is a carer.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Lizzie, who is also mum to son John-Joe, 13, said: “Alfie has quite a few health problems because of his condition.

“He can only walk a few steps and suffers with anxiety but he said that he wanted to help other people during this difficult time.

“He decided to make up care packs for people who can’t get out.

“The care homes were over the moon with the packs when we dropped them off and the kids couldn’t believe that they had made people smile.”

A message from the Editor:

Thank you for reading this story on our website. While I have your attention, I also have an important request to make of you.

In order for us to continue to provide high quality and trusted local news on this free-to-read site, I am asking you to also please purchase a copy of our newspaper.

Our journalists are highly trained and our content is independently regulated by IPSO to some of the most rigorous standards in the world.

But being your eyes and ears comes at a price. So we need your support more than ever to buy our newspapers during this crisis.

With the coronavirus lockdown having a major impact on many of our local valued advertisers - and consequently the advertising that we receive - we are more reliant than ever on you helping us to provide you with news and information by buying a copy of our newspaper.

Thank you.

Related topics: