Past, Present and FUTURE Sophy Layzell talks to Seth Dellow By Fergus Byrne
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n March 2012 Jemima Layzell died of a brain aneurism at Bristol Children’s Hospital at just 13 years of age. The devastation and grief amongst friends and family were understandably profound. However the legacy Jemima left behind, through organ donation and a Charitable Trust set up in her name has ensured she has placed an indelible mark on the lives of many people who never knew her, as well as those who did. Her mother, the writer Sophy Layzell from Horton in Somerset spoke to Seth Dellow about the inspiration Jemima’s short life has bequeathed to those around her. Finding Jemima’s diaries, with entries right up to the day before she was suddenly struck ill, Sophy decided to put them into a book and use it to help raise money for other children. ‘We felt that because of our experience at Bristol Children’s Hospital, that there were things that we could help with’ she told Seth. She was also driven by a need to use the income from the book responsibly. She and her family realised that there were a lot of children who needed special equipment and special treatment, so the Jemima Layzell Trust was formed to tell her story and spread a positive message about Jemima’s short life. Just a week before her death, on hearing about the loss of a friend through an accident, Jemima expressed her desire to donate her organs if anything ever happened to her. ‘We also campaign for organ transplant awareness’ says Sophy. ‘Simply because Jemima herself donated all her
12 The Marshwood Vale Magazine November 2021 Tel. 01308 423031
