Actor Martin Clunes has shared a special video message all the way from Greenland to cheer on 10-year-old Carmela Chillery-Watson, who is taking on a fundraising challenge for Julia’s House children’s hospice.   

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Carmela dressed up as Spider Woman for her challenge

Our nurses and carers provide compassionate and critical care for Carmela, who has a rare and incurable form of muscular dystrophy, which causes her muscles to waste away. 

The youngster is taking on a ‘Superhero Jurassic Journey 4 Julia’s House’ and plans to walk and wheel in her wheelchair for a total of 100 miles over two weeks. She started last Sunday 16th June and will finish on Sunday 29th June. 

As a Patron and passionate supporter of Julia’s House, the Doc Martin star Martin Clunes was invited to join Carmela in her challenge by our charity Chief Executive Martin Edwards. However, the actor was in Greenland and could not make it in person, so he instead shared a good luck video message against a stunning iceberg backdrop. 

In the video, Martin Clunes says, “Hey Carmela, I just wanted to wish you the best of all possible luck on your amazing Jurassic Walk. What a thing to do!” 

He continues, “Martin Edwards wrote and told me you were doing it and asked me if I’d pop along. I’m in Greenland – you can probably see, there’s a few icebergs behind me. 

“But I just really wanted to say, congratulations to you for doing this. Julia’s House is the best possible cause you could be doing it for. And good luck – go girl!” 

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Martin Clunes shares message for Carmela from Greenland

Carmela is doing the trek as part of the Superhero Series, a series of mass participation events, powered by Marvel and founded by Paralympian, Sophia Warner, exclusively for people with disabilities – also known as Superheroes and their Sidekick friends and families. 

Carmela, who is from Devizes in Wiltshire and has recently moved to Wareham in Dorset, will be dressed as one of her favourite superheroes, Spiderwoman. She is hoping to cover 7.1 miles each day and will also be joined by her mum Lucy and dog Tinker, who has a special dog carry-bag on the back of Carmela’s wheelchair. They hope to raise £10,000 for Julia’s House. 

“Carmela faces so many challenges in her life, but she’s never let them hold her back,” says mum Lucy. “She’s raised thousands of pounds for charity, met several high-profile celebrities, including the Prince of Wales, and received lots of awards for her bravery and fundraising efforts. This year, we both felt we really wanted to do something for Julia’s House as we know how little Government funding they receive and how they rely on public donations, so we wanted to help and fundraise for them as times are tough.” 

Carmela will be walking along coastal and inland paths and tracks, visiting Studland Bay, Old Harry Rocks, The Blue Pool, Arne RSPB, Durlston Country Park, Swanage, Weymouth beach, Corfe Castle and Durlston Country Park. She will finish on 29th June with a walk from Wareham Quay to the Julia’s House Dorset hospice in Corfe Mullen. 

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Carmela with her dog Tinker

As well as fundraising for Julia’s House, Carmela’s daily miles will be added to those of her Superhero Series team who are racing against other teams to travel the world and get to this year’s Paris Paralympics virtually. 

Carmela is looking forward to the challenge: “I’m really excited.  I’ve only just moved to Dorset, and I haven’t been to the Jurassic Coast yet, so I’m looking forward to seeing what it’s like, enjoying the sea views and maybe even collecting some fossils.” 

Carmela has a rare and aggressive form of muscular dystrophy, which affects one child in a million.  Her condition is progressive and life-threatening and there’s currently no cure. Over time it has caused Carmela’s muscles to waste away. She’s lost all her shoulder muscles, so it’s hard for her to lift her arms or hold her knife and fork, and her hips have also become weaker, which affects her stability. 

Julia’s House has been a constant support for Carmela and her family since the youngster was diagnosed with muscular dystrophy at three years old. 

Our nurses and carers provide free and bespoke care for families of children with life-limiting and life-threatening conditions in Wiltshire and Dorset. We rely almost entirely on donations to provide our vital care in families' homes and at the hospices in Devizes, Wiltshire, and Corfe Mullen, Dorset. 

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Carmela, mum Lucy and dog Tinker

“Julia’s House is like our second family,” continues Lucy. “I don’t get help from anywhere apart from Julia’s House, and I would feel very lost without them.   Carmela’s daddy works away during the week, so it’s just me and Carmela 24/7 and it can be full-on. With everything I go through and see with Carmela and her condition, it’s an emotional rollercoaster. Like any mum, I need time-out for myself, even if it’s just for two or three hours. 

“We don’t think or talk too much about what might lie ahead for Carmela,” adds Lucy. “She says I’m her best friend and she wants to have babies and live down the road from me when she’s older. And if Carmela wants to talk about having babies and getting married then that’s what we’ll do. You hear about children all over the world dying suddenly, so I think we’re lucky really. I believe in just taking each day as it comes and if that moment comes, it’s just how it’s going to be.” 

Laura Maidment, Julia’s House Public Fundraising Manager, will be joining Carmela part of the way on her walk. Laura said, “You couldn’t get a bigger superhero than Carmela.  She’s amazing and I’m looking forward to joining her on her Jurassic Journey.  Everyone at Julia’s House is 100 per cent behind her and super grateful for her – and Lucy’s - amazing support.  Go Carmela!” 

If you’d like to donate to Carmela’s Superhero Jurassic Journey, you can go to her Just Giving page: Carmela Chillery-Watson is fundraising for Julia's House (justgiving.com)