On 20 October, twin sisters and ELoH founders Sarah Hope and Victoria Bacon received the prestigious Points of Light award for their tireless work to support child amputees in developing countries. The award is given by the Prime Minister for outstanding voluntary service and it is a wonderful recognition for Sarah and Victoria who have dedicated the past four years to help some of the most vulnerable children in the world.
The twin sisters set up Elizabeth’s Legacy of Hope at the back of a terrible bus collision in which their mother Elizabeth lost her life and Sarah’s 2 year old daughter Pollyanna had to have her right leg amputated below the knee. However, Pollyanna was lucky. She was able to receive some of the best support in the world and as a result she can walk, play and go to school, just like her friends. Knowing what a difference this support had made for Pollyanna, Sarah and Victoria set up Elizabeth’s Legacy of Hope in memory of their mother, to make sure other amputee children received the same chance in life.
Today, the ELoH has provided long-term medical and educational support to over 250 child amputees in Tanzania, Sierra Leone, Liberia and India and last month a new project was launched in Andhra Pradesh, India. Thanks to Sarah and Victoria’s hard work these children are now able to live active and prosperous lives with a real opportunity to build a future free from poverty and marginalisation.
To make this occasion even more special, Sarah and Victoria were selected to represent all British Points of Light winners in Huston, Texas, in front of an audience of 2,500 people. There, the 25th anniversary of the US Points of Light award was being celebrated. Neil Bush, the youngest brother of former US president George W Bush, presented the award to Sarah and Victoria. Prime Minister David Cameron also sent them a specially recoded video message. He said:
“Sarah and Victoria and their families have shown incredible strength in overcoming a terrible accident and working tirelessly to help others facing life-changing injuries. By providing the same excellent medical care Pollyanna received to children in developing nations, they have given children hope for the future, enabled them to be active and live lives to the full. Sarah and Victoria should be extremely proud of all they’ve achieved in memory of their mother Elizabeth. I am delighted they have been able to share the importance of their work on an international stage.“
Sarah and Victoria were honoured to have been chosen to be Points of Light. They said:
“Bringing light out of darkness is the message of Elizabeth’s Legacy of Hope. We hope this reward will enable us to reach out to hundreds more struggling amputee children in the poorest parts of the world. However, in going to the States we are also representing all the British Points of Light winners and the hundreds of thousands of volunteers up and down America and the United Kingdom who selflessly, generously, and tirelessly do so much to put smiles on the faces of others; in doing so enriching their own lives”
Read more about Sarah’s and Victoria’s wonderful achievement on the website of the Prime Minister’s Office: https://www.pointsoflight.gov.uk/changing-child-amputees-lives/