Forget Me Not children’s hospice’s award-winning supporter, 11-year-old Madi Lord, from Brighouse, joins the stars for BBC’s Children in Need show.

Madi’s story, of how Forget Me Not supported her twin brother Ethan and family, was featured on the live spectacular on Friday night and on BBC Radio 2’s Scott Mills’ breakfast show.

Her family’s story, as told by Madi and dad Steve, inspired Radio 2 DJ Sara Cox, who ran, jogged and walked 135 miles across Northumberland, Durham, North Yorkshire and West Yorkshire, raising over £9.5 million for Children in Need. In her interview with Scott Mills on Friday morning, an emotional Sara dedicated the final day of her five day run to Madi, saying “I’m going to run for Madi today.”

Madi’s story also features in a BBC 1-hour special “Sara Cox: Every Step of the Way for Children in Need” (from 48 minutes in).

In 2023, Madi’s twin brother Ethan was diagnosed with a rare degenerative condition, aged 9. Madi had to watch her twin go from a boy who could do everything she could, to someone who was wheelchair-bound, often in a lot of pain, unable to speak and with very limited movement.

Very sadly, Ethan died in 2025. Forget Me Not children’s hospice has supported the whole family since Ethan was diagnosed, and their sibling support worker continues to help Madi cope with her loss. The charity’s sibling support work is funded by BBC Children in Need and featured in the live TV show.

Madi has fundraised for Forget Me Not throughout, winning Young Community Champion at the Calderdale Community Spirit Awards in 2023. Madi ran two Days of Fun, involving everyone at her and Ethan’s school, St Andrew’s Junior School in Brighouse. The days included bake sales, raffles, a Mario-inspired cardboard cart race and a masked singer competition! In total she has raised over £13,000!

Now Madi has worked with the team at Forget Me Not to design their latest schools campaign “Madi’s Day of Fun”. The campaign, with Madi’s own original artwork, gives schools ideas and inspiration for their own day of fun to raise money for Forget Me Not’s vital work supporting local babies and children with life-shortening conditions and their families. Madi’s only rule for activities is “It has to be fun!”

The campaign will launch early in 2026 but schools can register their interest at https://www.forgetmenotchild.co.uk/schools-campaign-register-your-interest/. The campaign has been kindly sponsored by Smart Printing Company.