A woman has decided to continue her mum's legacy by lighting up her home for a cause close to the family.
Kathlean and Arron Williams, who live in Greasby, have lit up their home with Christmas lights, with Arron dressing as Santa, to continue a tradition that Kathlean's parents, Fred and Liz Conway, were well known in the area for. All the money raised from visitors to their home will go towards Alder Hey Children's Hospital- a cause very important to the family, Kathleen explained.
The mum-of-three told the ECHO: "My mum lost a child at Alder Hey, my little brother, around 30 years ago. The support they gave to the family was great at such a hard time so we just do this to say thank you to them."
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Kathlean and Arron took the reigns from Kathlean's parents when her mum became ill. She added: "We decided to take over because my dad couldn't find the time to do it while also looking after my mum."
Liz was diagnosed with a rare condition called multiple system atrophy, which causes gradual damage to nerve cells in the brain, and can affect basic functions such as breathing and talking. Kathlean said: "My mum needs to be cared for by my dad, she can't walk or speak anymore- with my dad busy we decided to carry on the tradition for mum."
Multiple system atrophy affects around 3,300 people in the UK and symptoms usually begin between the ages of 50 and 60, however they can appear any time after 30. Some early symptoms include bladder problems, problems with co-ordination and speech, erection problems, and low blood pressure when standing up.
Kathlean added: "The lights were a big part of my childhood and to see my kids to grow up with what we did and to see all the smiles on children's faces, as well as making money for an amazing charity makes it all worthwhile."
The family welcome anyone interested in seeing the lights to visit them at 49 Circular Drive, Greasby CH49 3NA, and will accept any letters to Santa- as well as sending a response if a return address is provided.
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