About mid-day on the 30th of July 2003, Karen Sturt, a young woman of 19 years from Bude in Cornwall, gave birth to her first child. A huge surprise in being born a month early, baby Jacob Isaac Sturt entered this world weighing a mere 3lb 14oz.

Barely over the ordeal of giving birth, Karen was given devastating news. The constultant paediatrician raised the doubt, later confirmed by a blood test, Jacob had Down’s Syndrome. No one would have known just looking at him, this tiny scrap of humanity had been already been burdoned with huge obstacles barely before life had even begun.

Of course there were tears from a sense of failure, the unknown, a whole mixture of emotions and uncertainties at first. But she looked after Jacob well, took all the medical tests, comments and above all good advice in her stride, and despite them all managed to raise a very happy, alert, mobile and above all contented child.

With guidance from our local Portage group, Karen became adept at and taught Jacob the Makaton sign language. It wasn’t too long before Jacob could respond to what people said.

What with Portage group visits, Kindergarten, Music Therapy, Singing and Sign and Speach Therapy both Karen and Jacob had busy lives. At the end of every day Jacob wound down with sign, song and stories. There was little more any good mother could do.

Karen soon became friendly with her support workers and other mothers who were in the same boat. Between them, they had extablished the very beginnings of a mutual support group, they looked out for and helped each other when they could.

Jacob’s kindergarten, Portage helper and Speach Therapist all with huge enthusiasm also got together and co-ordindated their work, this is a huge bonus for those of us who live in Bude and I believe Karen and Jacob had a little influence along the way.

A little over two years on, Jacob is a happy little man, doing all the things that a two year old toddler gets told off for, still prefers sign to speech but always has a smile. Karen had just passed her driving test and taking a much deeper interest in support services for children with special needs. Probably with a career in mind, certainly as a volunteer to begin with. She had already gained great insight into the problems Down’s children could have. With support from, particularly, the Portage group Karen became adept at Makaton sign language and the teaching techniques needed to stimulate children with special needs.

Late on the evening of Tuesday 8th of November 2005, Karen was killed in a traffic accident on the A39 near Bude. Karen was buried on the 18th of November at St Olaf’s Church in Poughill. A collection in her memory raised a little over £1,100 for the Down’s Syndrome Association.

One of Karen’s friends, who also has a Downs child looked after Jacob for the day of the funeral. During the sevice, among the eulogies offered to the 200 or so people attending the funeral, Karen’s friend from the Portage group also spoke, she mentioned a new Downs baby born to a Bude couple and how Karen had wanted to help them and offer that kind of support you know is genuine, true and real. The Little Rays of Sunshine club had already been started, we just didn’t know it quite yet.

We knew Karen would have supported the Downs Syndrome Association, we also knew she would have prefered that surport to have been as local as possible. A little searching and a couple of emails later, we found that the regional office for the Downs Syndrome Association was in Bristol. They were good enough to tell us there was a Cornwall Downs Syndrome Association Support Group in Newquay. That, being the nearest, is where we sent the collection funds. Job done you would have thought.

While we were sorting all this out, Sandy Lawrence, the lady who was running the Cornwall Downs Syndrome Association Support Group. Went and got her self promoted, left her husband John to run the Cornwall group to become a trustee of the Downs Syndrome Association itself.

Previous telephone conversations had skirted around the lack of a similar group in the Bude area, or anywhere within about 30 miles. Sandy suggested, “Why don’t you start a group of your own”?

We, Karen’s family and friends dedicate the Little Ray’s of Sunshine Club to honour her memory, while it was in losing her which proved to be the main catalyst for it’s inauguration, we believe that had she lived, she would have tried to do something similar herself.

Dave & Maria Sturt, Lynn & Paul Green, Karen Oliffe, Maria Stopher, Carol Hunt, Liz Plumb and Jodie Parsons.