A VERY special event is taking place at a hospice today in memory of a child who died aged just 18 months.

It’s Essie’s Day at Chestnut Tree House, which is based at Arundel and covers the whole of Sussex.

The cost of a day of care at the hospice is £6,850 and more than 100 runners took part as Team Essie in the Littlehampton 10k last September to raise an amazing £21,000.

Essie Victoria Cobbett had died in August.

Her mother Lorna, of Horsham, said: “Essie might have only lived for 18 months but she fought so hard during her little life and never gave up.

“If love alone was enough, Essie would have lived for ever and made even more precious memories with her triplet brother and sister.

“We simply cannot ever repay Chestnut Tree House for all that they have done for our family and especially for our darling Essie.

“Saying ‘thank you’ just isn’t enough, but it is a start.

“I hope you never need to use a children’s hospice such as Chestnut Tree House but the fact they exist is something we will be truly thankful for every day.

“We want Essie’s Day to be the day that Essie’s life is celebrated as this is the day she finally came home from hospital aged 11 weeks old.”

Now Lorna is urging readers to join Team Essie for this year’s run.

She said: “You might have never run but that doesn’t matter for Team Essie – walk, jog or run, you’ll be doing your part to help us get 200 runners taking part in the Littlehampton 10k for our beautiful daughter’s memory and help to raise £20,000 for Chestnut Tree House.

“Everyone is welcome – friends, family and strangers – and we hope to achieve a sea of red T-shirts on September 9 as red was Essie’s favourite colour.”

Chestnut Tree House relies on donations and fundraising to cover more than 90 per cent of the £3.5 million it costs to run the charity each year.

And this is just to keep going as it is – helping 300 families – rather than being able to help the 1,000 families the hospice has identified it could support.

This year is the 15th year of the hospice being in operation.

During this period its need has only grown in significance and paediatric palliative care is increasingly having to work with more and more little children with highly complex health needs, such as Essie.

It calls itself “the children’s hospice for Sussex, Brighton and South East Hampshire2.

It cares for young people aged up to 19 and receives massive public support.