A Broughty Ferry dad is taking a lead role in a heartbreaking new Father’s Day campaign launched by Children’s Hospices Across Scotland.
The new campaign aims to raise funds for the charity and support fathers whose children have life-shortening illnesses.
Andrew Suttie, who turns 35 on Wednesday, and his wife Jaclyn, 33, learned she was pregnant on Father’s Day 2016.
A few weeks later they learned they were told to expect twins.
Their daughters Georgia Mary and Jessica Lynne were born prematurely on Hogmanay that year and remained in the Neonatal Unit at Ninewells Hospital for several weeks.
Jessica was later diagnosed with Zellweger Spectrum Disorder, a rare genetic condition.
She died in September 2017 but Andrew says the support of CHAS staff at Rachel House in Kinross helped helped create memories of Jessica the family cherishes.
He said: “CHAS were fantastic. Jess was with us for a very short time but we used Rachel House three times and the support they gave us was incredible.
“I just want to raise awareness of CHAS because they were a big thing for us. They got what we needed, whether it was a bit of space or a bit of support.”
He added: “Rachel House is a children’s hospice but it’s a nice place to go.”
Since Jessica died, Andrew, Jaclyn and their friends and family have raised around £40,000 for CHAS.
As part of the charity’s campaign, Andrew has penned a letter to Jessica talking about how much he misses her.
He wrote: “There is not a day goes by that I don’t miss you and think of you.
“Of course I miss our cuddles and your beautiful smile but now more than ever I miss what should have been.
Seeing your twin Georgia growing into the special little girl that she is makes me think of you both playing together, taking your first steps together and sharing adventures together.
Also taking part in the campaign is Colin Brown from Upper Largo, whose daughter Eilish was diagnosed with Krabbe disease and died at just nine months old in 2014.
In Scotland, nearly 16,000 children and young people live with life-shortening conditions.
CHAS works across Scotland, able to provides its hospice services nation-wide for babies, children and young people with life-shortening conditions.,
It offers palliative, respite and end-of-life care from Rachel House in Kinross and Robin House in Balloch.
Anyone who wises to donate to CHAS can do so by visiting www.chas.org.uk/donate
