What we do

The Daisy Garland charity was set up in November 2004 to keep Daisy’s memory alive and to help other little children like her.

We fund an increasing number of Ketogenic Dietitians who work in National Health Hospitals treating hundreds of children with intractable epilepsy.

We are the only UK charity funding Ketogenic Dietitians - each dietitian costs up to £45,000 per annum. If you think you could help us fund our next Daisy Garland Ketogenic Dietitian go to HOW YOU CAN HELP. Be in touch today.

The Garland Family & The Daisy Garland Charity

Who we are, why we are here and what we aim to do for you and your special child

Our Aims & Objectives

We aim to improve the quality of life for children (up to the age of 12 years), with difficult to control epilepsy accompanied by developmental delay.

We do this by following our objectives:

• The promotion and protection of good health for children up to the age of 12 years with difficult to control epilepsy accompanied by developmental delay.
• To advance education of the public by the provision of a website offering support and assistance to parents of children with epilepsy.
• To relieve such children by the provision of equipment with the object of improving their conditions of life.

Daisy Garland

The Little Girl behind the Charity

In 1998, Daisy, our only child at that time, was diagnosed with a rare and complex form of epilepsy - Severe Myoclonic Epilepsy (Dravet's Syndrome). She was just five and a half months old. Tragically, our darling daughter died as a result of SUDEP (sudden and unexpected death in epilepsy patients), just three days after her 6th birthday. From the early hours of 14th April 2004, our world was turned completely upside down, our lives changed forever.

Sara, David and Grace Garland at the 2008 Daisy Garland Charity Ball

Where do we go from here?

In our minds, we had no option but to try to turn a hugely devastating tragedy into something positive with the hope of helping other children like Daisy.  And so The Daisy Garland charity was created ...

The Daisy Garland Charity

The Daisy Garland Charity was set up in November 2004 with the aim of keeping Daisy's memory alive and to help other little children like her. We are a small family-run charity with a handful of dedicated volunteers dotted around the country who generously donate their time and energy doing what they can to fundraise. All the money we raise goes directly to Daisy's charity enabling us to offer a wide range of support to children and families living with epilepsy.

London Marathon 2008: Twin sisters Angie Rees and Claire Beecroft; Bob Brown

How We Fundraise

Someone once said that charity is a virtue of the heart, so we count ourselves extremely lucky to have the support of a number of big hearted people who help us raise much needed funds.  Our main fundraising events are The Daisy Ball and the ever popular Daisy Garland Family Day Picnic and Balloon Race.  Our kind supporters do all they can from running marathons to holding coffee mornings and bric-a-brac sales.  We also receive donations from generous individuals, schools, various trusts and companies all of whom recognise the important work we do and are keen to help us realise our goal.

How We Help

Here are some of the things we have achieved in the last 6 years -

• We fund six  Daisy Garland Ketogenic Dieticians who work within NHS hospitals throughout the UK;
• Provide various grants;
• We funded the production of a DVD on Dravet’s Syndrome;
• Supply Daisy Garland Ketogenic Handbooks to dieticians, schools, hospitals and parents/carers of children with epilepsy;
• Sponsor children at a new Ketogenic centre in South Africa – started up and run by one of our ex ‘Daisy Dieticians’;
• We provide a 24 hour charity phone-line;
• We provide e-mail support for parents;
• We provide free Keto Welcome Starter Boxes for each family starting the Ketogenic Diet.

Daisy's Little Sister - Our Saving Grace

In early 2005, to our huge excitement I discovered that at the age of 41 I was pregnant again! One sunny Wednesday afternoon in September, Grace Olivia Garland was born to two delighted parents. Since that day Grace has brought immense joy back into our lives and we feel fortunate to have been blessed with two wonderful daughters.

Our patron Emma Thompson
Photograph copyright by Clive Coots

Our Patron Emma Thompson

In 2008, Emma Thompson, the award winning actress, writer, director and campaigner agreed to become our first Patron.

She commented:

"The Daisy Garland is an extremely worthwhile cause. This family-run, registered charity works tirelessly to raise funds for children with epilepsy. They put their efforts to the best use by funding specialist dieticians to work within the National Health System, giving children with difficult to control epilepsy a chance to reach their full potential in life. I am delighted to be associated with this charity and give them my full and heartfelt support."

Our Pretty Daisy Charity Merchandise

Why not treat yourself to a little retail therapy? – every purchase you make will help a child with epilepsy.  Our range of merchandise  is decorated with our Daisy logo, exclusively designed for us by award winning children's book illustrator Nick Maland who also designed our range of greetings cards and Christmas cards. Click here to visit our shop now.

Every penny counts! Daisy coins donated by Mrs Ethelston's Primary School in Uplyme

How you can help us

In order to continue our important work we need to increase our circle of fundraising volunteers – perhaps you would consider running a marathon or holding a coffee morning? Please contact us if you can help. We are always grateful for any donations, no matter how small – every penny goes directly to helping children with epilepsy. You can donate NOW by clicking here.

Thank you for joining us on ‘A journey of hope… for children with epilepsy’.

With our warmest regards,
Sara & David Garland

Daisy's Amazon Shop powered by

Start your Amazon.co.uk shopping here. We will earn commission on your entire purchase without this costing you a single penny more. So why not tell all your friends & family about it? Thank you for supporting our work to improve the quality of life for children with difficult to control epilepsy.