A teenager from Co Antrim has raised over £20,000 for the Children's Hospice over the past six years.
Madison Wright, 14, first started fundraising for the charity when she was just nine-years-old after her parents attended a gala ball to raise funds for two children.
Brother and sister Noah and Gracie Coates both suffered from the life limiting, genetic disease Leukodystrophy.
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The Carrickfergus teenager said she "just had to do something" when she heard about Noah and Gracie's condition. With the help of her family, friends and primary school, Central Integrated Primary School, Madison began her fundraising journey.
She hosted coffee mornings, organised non-uniform days, and even got her dad Matthew and his friends to wax their legs. When she moved to big school at Carrickfergus Academy, it was natural for Madison to carry on her charity work.
Madison told Belfast Live: "Whenever I was nine I was in my house and my parents were going out somewhere. I asked where they were going to as they were dressed fancy, and they said they were going to a gala ball to help two young children.
"I asked 'why don't you just take them to the doctor?' As a normal nine-year-old, that's probably what you would think - doctors can think everything. But my parents told me doctors can't fix what they have.
"I started doing fundraising for them, and then when they went into the hospice I saw what they did for them, so I fundraise for the hospice for them and every other child who goes there.
"In total we've raised over £20,000. I do it because kids that don't have a life like mine should at least be able to have a good life while they're here."
Madison became the first ever Youth Ambassador for the Northern Ireland's Children's Hospice in 2020 in recognition of her extensive fundraising efforts for the charity.
In July 2019, Noah Coates sadly passed away, with Madison now organising her biggest event to date in his memory.
A Gala Ball will take place at Titanic, Belfast on Saturday 29th October. The black-tie event will be compered by radio presenter Cate Conway and will also involve a post dinner raffle and auction.
Madison said: "Sadly Noah passed away in July 2019. The Gala Ball is dedicated to the memory of Noah and will take place on what would have been his 16th birthday weekend.
"My aim is to raise as much money as possible to make sure other children like Noah and Gracie, along with their families, can access the support they need."
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