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NORSE and FIRES
Research and Advocacy: We fund, support, and advocate for UK-led research into NORSE and FIRES, working in close collaboration with families, clinicians, researchers, and epilepsy organisations in the UK and internationally to deepen understanding, accelerate new treatments, and ultimately find a cure.
Family Support: We support people and families affected by NORSE and FIRES by providing practical help at every stage of the journey. This includes small grants, peer support, and signposting to specialist services, helping families navigate hospital stays, rehabilitation, and life after discharge.
Children's Wellbeing: We also support children’s mental wellbeing by funding animal-assisted and creative therapies. We even have our own Therapy Dog - a superhero black Labrador called Daisy 🐾You can learn more about Daisy and her work here here.
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RESEARCH MILESTONE
ACHIEVED!
Despite the severity of FIRES, it remains vastly under-funded and under researched. This lack of research means families are left in the dark, struggling to find treatments that can improve their loved ones’ lives.
We are incredibly proud to have reached our £50,000 research commitment on Christmas Day 2025, forming part of a £110,000 UK research collaboration with the Epilepsy Research Institute to support UK-led research into NORSE and FIRES.
The research application process is underway, and we hope to see the study begin in Autumn 2026. Learn more about this collaboration by clicking here.A huge thank you to every individual, business, and organisation who has supported us - including the many schools and young people, some of whom were Sam’s friends, whose kindness, energy, and determination helped us reach this incredible milestone. It stands as a powerful testament to what can be achieved when families, communities, clinicians, and researchers come together with a shared purpose.
GRANTS FOR FAMILIES AFFECTED BY FIRES
Caring for a child with FIRES can bring unexpected financial challenges. Our Sam’s Superheroes Family Grants offer up to £500 to support families navigating life with this devastating condition. Whether it’s funding essential medical equipment, therapy sessions, travel expenses for hospital stays, or specialist support, our goal is to ease the burden—so families can focus on what truly matters: caring for their child.
How We Can Help
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Special Days Out: Covering the cost of trips to places like the seaside, theme parks, or the theatre, giving families a chance to make cherished memories together.
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Tailored Experiences: Arranging visits from entertainers or specialists, whether at home or in hospital, to bring joy to children in both the acute and chronic stages of FIRES.
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Family Breaks & Holidays: Contributing towards a short break or holiday within the UK, offering families much-needed respite in the countryside or by the sea.
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Specialist Equipment: Funding essential items that improve quality of life, such as wheelchairs, monitoring equipment, sensory tools, hoists, and feeding tubes.
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Hospital Stay Support: Helping with the financial strain of having a child in intensive care, covering travel, accommodation, and practical costs.
How to Apply
If you’re under 25 and living in England or Wales, and FIRES has impacted your life, we encourage you to apply for support. Our application process is simple, and we review requests on a rolling basis to ensure families facing urgent needs receive help as quickly as possible.
Grants are awarded at the discretion of our Trustees, in line with the charitable purposes and objectives of Sam’s Superheroes Foundation.
Email: rachel@samssuperheroes.co.uk
Phone: 07880 343416
ANIMAL ASSISTED THERAPY
We believe in the incredible power of Animal-Assisted Therapy to support bereaved children, and those facing mental health challenges. This work not only supports young people, it also helps us raise awareness of our charity and as it is a chargeable services it also helps provides a small income to fund our work for NORSE and FIRES.
At the heart of our therapy dog programme is Daisy, our superhero therapy dog. She is a black labrador, and importantly Sam's dog - they were joined at the hip. Daisy started her therapy dog journey when she visited Sam whilst he was in critical care fighting FIRES.
When Sam died, his mum knew that she had to play a star role in our charity, and felt that as she provided such comfort in hospital she would make the best therapy dog. And how could she not - she was trained by Sam.
Daisy had intensive training and soon passed her Therapy Dog test with Pets as Therapy. She then set off on her role with Sam's mum visiting schools around Derby, and supporting young people.
This service has evolved over the last four years. We now visit six schools each week and have the wonderful support of Tara, an experienced and dedicated teacher, who supports us in our work with Daisy.
Together they bring comfort, confidence, and calm to children who need it most.
Daisy carries out a range of activities in either 121 or group settings. From painting, outdoor work to pawprint coasters she is a safe space where children can connect, express emotions, and find comfort in ways they may not be able to with adults. Her presence is truly life-changing for many children.
BOOK US FOR A DOG THERAPY VISIT IN DERBY
If you are interested in booking a visit from Daisy our therapy dog, for your school, or organisation, or you would like to learn more please get in touch with us at:
Email: Tara@samssuperheroes.co.uk
Phone: 07880 343416
CREATIVE THERAPY PROGRAMME
We believe in the power of creativity to help children and families heal. That’s why we fund hospital creative tool kits to support children in hospital who are suffering with the mental or emotional wellbeing.
These tool kits are all about fostering connection and building resilience through creativity. We’ve seen firsthand how they can be a lifeline for children in hospital.
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WANT CREATIVE TOOL KITS?
If you're a hospital interested in our creative toolkits, get in touch with Rhiannon, Sam’s aunt, to learn more:
Email: rhiannon@samssuperheroes.co.uk
Phone: 0797 6422174