Press Releases

Jimmy Osmond launches charity to help sick youngsters

The Herald
January 27, 2009

Singer Jimmy Osmond yesterday announced the official UK launch of an international charity that raises money for children's hospitals.

The Children's Miracle Network (CMN), co-founded by the Osmond family more than 25 years ago, hopes to create partnerships with 24 hospitals. The charity's goal is to help pay for life-saving equipment, breakthrough research, preventive education and comforts for children in hospital.

It is already partnered with five hospitals in the UK, but discussions are being held with several others, some of them in Scotland.

Nicola Hussey, for CMN, said: "We hope to work with all hospitals to carry a health care partnership across the country. We want to get as many involved as possible."

Former child star Osmond, who has been a director of the charity since its inception, said CMN had also affected his life in "a very real way".

When his six-year-old daughter, who has epilepsy, was rushed to hospital in an ambulance, she was kept alive by respiratory equipment that had been paid for by funds raised through the charity.

The charity has an unusual fundraising concept - radiothons. A local radio station is used to hold a three-day event in which it presents its shows live from the hospital. Parents, children and staff are invited to speak on the air.

"It can be quite emotional," said Ms Hussey.

CMN, which is supported by financial services organisation Foresters, has already helped raise £90,000 for the Royal Hospital for Sick Children in Edinburgh through a Radio Forth radiothon last September.