Red and white funeral will honour little Jasmine

Jasmine Purvis with parents Jamie Harvey, dad Chris Purvis, grandad Colin Hope and her favourite player Jermain Defoe.

Two-year-old Jasmine Purvis was given just months to live after being born with Down’s syndrome and a heart defect known as a pulmonary hypertension.

The youngster, from Canon Cockin Street, Hendon, put up a brave fight against the condition which meant the right side of the organ had stopped working, affecting her lungs and kidneys. But sadly she passed away on Thursday morning.

Now parents Jamie Harvey and dad Chris Purvis have arranged for a red and white funeral to take place at St Ignatius the Martyr, in Hendon, on Tuesday, November 1, to represent Jasmine’s love of Sunderland AFC.

Grandad Colin Hope, 36, also from Canon Cockin Street, said anyone who knew Jasmine is welcome to come along to the service, which will start at 12.15pm.

“The family are just taking it one day at a time,” he said.

“We have arranged for the service to take place on Tuesday at 12.15pm and then the burial will take place at Grangetown Cemetery at 1pm.

“The wake will be held afterwards at Hendon Grange pub from 1pm onwards. “We decided that it would be a red and white funeral as Jasmine loved Sunderland - they were her favourite team.

“We are asking everyone to wear red and white and her casket will also be red and white.

“At the service we plan to let off doves and Jasmine’s sisters will release red heart balloons by her grave side to represent Jasmine’s cause.

“Jasmine wouldn’t have wanted doom and gloom, she was a bright happy little girl and would have wanted bright colours, so that is what we are going to do.”

In the last months of her life little Jasmine made it her mission to raise thousands for the Children’s Heart Unit (CHUF) at the Freeman Hospital under the name ‘Jasmine’s Hearts,’ as they have cared for her in the past.

Her family also set about making her last wishes come true and just last month Jasmine’s final wish came true when Sunderland AFC invited her to come to meet the players at the club’s Academy of Light training base.

Following the news of her death last week, members of the community came together in mourning of the little Jasmine.

On Facebook Rabia Begum said: “RIP to little Jasmine. So sad. She was always full of smiles. Thinking of the family xx”

A fundraising page has been set up by Jasmine’s auntie Chelsie Purvis to help cover the costs of her headstone.

To donate visit: https://www.gofundme.com/22dtsfg