James Murray talks about the loss of his daughter
Guest star on Alan Titchmarsh's Love Your Weekend, actor James Murray, held back tears during a heartfelt tribute to his late daughter.
Murray opened up to gardening guru Alan about his philanthropic efforts following the devastating loss of his infant daughter Ella-Jayne in 2009. Tragically, Ella-Jayne was born with a congenital heart defect and passed away at just eight months old.
In the wake of her passing, James and his wife Sarah Parish dedicated months working at an orphanage in Cambodia, before setting up the Murray Parish Trust in 2014. The trust is committed to raising funds for paediatric emergency medicine in the south of England.
During Sunday's episode (August 4), Alan queried James: "You've done a heck of a lot of work for Southhampton hospital because of Ella-Jayne. You lost a child and you have raised millions, the two of you, with the Murray Parish Trust, for equipment for Southhampton Hospital. And that goes on, presumably, does it?"
James proceeded to explain: "That keeps going on. That just keeps... We lost Ella-Jayne at the beginning of 2009 and we founded the charity a few years later," reports the Mirror.
His voice noticeably wavered as he spoke about his daughter's tragic demise but he managed to keep his emotions in check.
James went on to say: "We've raised, I think around £5million now for paediatric facilities across the south of England, predominantly as you say Southhampton Children's Hospital, but that services eight counties."
"We set that charity up as lots of people do who have been through trauma, as a way of giving back and as a therapy, as displacement if you like of where to put your grief. And it just grew."
Sarah detailed to the Daily Mail her heart-wrenching journey through child loss, declaring: "It changed us as people, definitely. It has to. And actually, the older you get, the more people you meet who have lost children. A lot of people lose children in far worse circumstances than Jim and me.
"Ella-Jayne was only eight months old, she was very poorly anyway, so we were already prepped for what could happen. I've known people who have lost their children at the age of 16.
"It's just unbearable. It will always change you as a person. It's changed us for the better, I think," she revealed.
