Forces charity helped Lee Rigby’s traumatised son who stopped talking after his father’s death… so donate to our Smiles at Christmas campaign to help children like him to smile again
Brave Jack Rigby was supported through his father's murder by one of the children's charities we're raising money for this year
THE SUN this week launched the biggest Christmas appeal in our history, Smiles At Christmas.
We are asking our caring readers to help put a smile back on needy children’s faces by giving money, toys or both.
Donations will be divided between four charities helping families – SCOTTY’S LITTLE SOLDIERS, CHILDREN WITH CANCER, WOMEN’S AID and the AMAR FOUNDATION. Today we focus on the remarkable Scotty’s Little Soldiers.
LITTLE Jack Rigby was a chatterbox looking forward to his third birthday when his beloved dad Lee was murdered outside Woolwich barracks.
That day the traumatised toddler was struck silent.
And though he slowly found his voice over the next 18 months, it took all that time for mum Rebecca to properly get her little boy back.
She revealed: “He regressed to the point where he went back to being a baby. He stopped eating food and went back to taking the bottle.
“He had to go back into a nappy. He stopped talking and was grunting all the time.”
Then came the moment a year and a half after the May 2013 murder when Rebecca took silent, damaged Jack to a Christmas party for Forces’ children who have lost a parent.
It was run by the charity Scotty’s Little Soldiers, dedicated to helping the bereaved kids of our servicemen and women.
Tears ran down Rebecca’s face as she described how that day, for the first time since his dad was killed in a London street, Jack became himself again.
The 33-year-old recalled: “At Scotty’s Christmas party I watched as Jack ran around with the other children, meeting Father Christmas and going on rides. He was back to smiling. He was happy again. Scotty’s gave him back the chance to be a child.”
Every youngster at that party had lost a parent who had served in the Navy, Army, RAF or the Reserves.
At her home in Halifax, West Yorks, Rebecca said: “It was the first time he’d met children in the same position as himself — boys and girls who knew the ordeal Jack had been through.”
The Sun has chosen Scotty’s Little Soldiers as one of the charities in our Smiles At Christmas campaign.
Scotty’s, as it is known for short, is the only charity in the UK dedicated totally to helping children, up to 19, who have lost a Forces parent in war, an accident or because of a medical condition.
And they would love YOUR help this Christmas.
Scotty’s was founded in 2010 by war widow Nikki Scott, whose husband Lee was killed by a Taliban bomb in Helmand Province, Afghanistan, in July 2009. Corporal Lee Scott was 26 and left young son, Kai, then five, and baby daughter, Brooke.
His widow Nikki set up Scotty’s Little Soldiers to provide free holidays, parties and a vital network to support the children of our dead heroes. The charity was there for little Jack immediately.
Drummer Fusilier Lee Rigby and Rebecca had married in 2007 and son Jack was born on September 1, 2010.
He was nearly two years and nine months old when Rebecca had to tell him that his daddy, 25, would not be coming home again.
Rebecca said: “Shortly after Lee was killed I got a letter from Scotty’s explaining what they do. I had a look at it and registered Jack.
“Quite quickly after he was sent a registration pack and a rucksack, a key ring, a football, a game and some information about the charity.
“Then he started to receive gifts on his birthday, Remembrance Day and on the anniversary of Lee’s death.”
At that time Rebecca was coping with her own grief and desperately trying to coax her little boy to eat normally and to start speaking.
She said: “It was like having to re-teach him everything and it seemed harder the second time around.”
The Scotty’s Christmas party that year clashed with the trial of Lee’s Islamic extremist killers, Michael Adebolajo and Michael Adebowale, who were both jailed for life.
It meant Rebecca and Jack missed out on the bash.
But the next Christmas they attended the party in Salford, Greater Manchester. It not only transformed Jack’s life but helped Rebecca, too.
She said: “It’s just good to know there are people who understand.
“Jack might ask me something and I don’t know how to answer it. But another parent will have gone through it with their child.”
Every Scotty’s child receives a grant of £150 a year. Jack spends his on swimming lessons.
And when he went with his family on holiday this summer to stay at the Scotty’s Lodge at the Devon
Cliffs holiday site near Exmouth he swam for the first time without armbands.
Jack, now six, has raised £10,000 for Scotty’s with fund-raising events and donates money from his moneybox to the cause. He is looking forward to this year’s annual Scotty’s party in Shropshire on Saturday, where he will hand over his Christmas list to Santa.
Jack explained proudly: “Only the real Santa comes to Scotty’s parties. The others in the shops aren’t the real ones.”
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Tears flowed again as Rebecca paid tribute to the charity.
She said: “I can’t thank them enough. They’ve been there to support him and to show him he is not alone. He knows they will always be there for him.
“They’re the only charity there solely for the kids.
“Nothing else matters other than giving them a childhood so they can be children again.”
Making friends and fun
SCOTTY’S Little Soldiers currently helps 269 children of soldiers, sailors and airmen and women who have died – and not just in action.
But founder Nikki Scott believes there are more than 1,000 service kids who have lost a parent and need support.
With your donations, Scotty’s can help more bereaved youngsters up until the age of 19.
Each Scotty’s Little Soldier receives letters, cards, birthday presents, Christmas gifts, tickets, gift vouchers and help towards clubs and activities and holiday breaks.
The charity also owns six Scotty’s Lodges, holiday homes around the UK where youngsters and their families can take a free annual break.
And it holds its annual Christmas party, paying for travel expenses and accommodation so the children can all get together.
Meanwhile, its support programme helps the kids with the emotional side of bereavement, including access to professional counselling and a family support network.
It also operates a Strides programme to help teenagers into adulthood with education grants.
Next year Scotty’s Little Soldiers is planning to employ its own counsellor to help the children cope with the loss of a parent.
The charity’s supporters include Corrie actor Simon Gregson, Steve McDonald on the soap.
For more information see .
Give cash
Online:
Text: To give £2, text KIDS55 2 to 70070. You can change the amount to £3, £4, £5 or £10 by changing the last figure to 3, 4, 5 or 10.
Post: Send a cheque, made payable to JustGiving Foundation, to JustGiving The Sun Appeal, Bluefin Building 2nd Floor, London SE1 0TA
Give toys
You can donate new or used toys in good condition at 1,370 branches of McColl’s convenience stores.
Toys “R” Us will accept new toys only — look for special Sun trolleys near entrances.
Tell pals
Like our Facebook page
Or tweet using #SmilesAtChristmas to let us know how you’re getting involved!