When Abbey met Rosie

4 people stand together wearing sport’s clothes with race numbers on their chests; 3 women and a young girl. Behind them is greenery, other people and balloons. A wheelchair sits beside them. Each of the 4 have medals hanging around their necks.

I was introduced by a friend of a friend to Rosie Wormington. Rosie and I spoke on the phone one afternoon and by the end of the conversation I felt like I’d met a soulmate and someone very special.

I learned that Rosie and John have a son called Alistair, and they had a daughter called Frances. Frances died when she was only 10 years old, almost 10 years before Rosie and I first met.

Rosie told me about Frances’ life. It filled me with awe. I was surprised and amazed at all the brilliant things Frances had done.

I learned that Frances was fabulous at sports, especially tennis and swimming.

Frances loved animals. She once went into the sea with a real dolphin called Coral, and even had an under-the-sea themed bedroom!  

Frances had only been a little girl going through her illness and yet she did so many things, despite the very hard time she faced. I decided to try to be more like Frances. 

Rosie sent my dad and I some of Frances’ hand-painted pottery to be our project mascots. My smiling, polka-dotted snail (below) reminds me to make the most of my life, not just because of Frances, but because of all the people I’ve met co-creating Worry Doll Stories.

What I really wanted to do was to share a little bit of Frances’ amazingness in a story, she inspired the character of plucky Polita Puffin.

I wonder if you can spot some similarities between her story and Polita’s in Worry Doll and Polita Puffin?

A painted ceramic snail, shiny and polka dotted. The snail is looking at us with a bright red smile and a blue face and body. The snail’s shell has been painted orange with big green dots on top.

 Watch here as Rosie shares with us a tribute to

 Frances Ellen Wormington

Beth Frost is a singer, instrumentalist and music teacher. Originally from Wales, she is now based in East London. Beth has performed and collaborated with many different music groups over the past 25 years, most recently guest singing on DVLX’s new album “Calling All Earth”, released in November 2023. Beth qualified as a primary school teacher in 2009, and in 2022 she became an “Interactive Music Maker” certified by the organisation Music As Therapy.

Beth and Abbey met and became firm friends whilst they were studying at University College London in 2008. 

Beth created her lovely version of ABBA’s Super Trouper as a special tribute to Frances.

www.bethfrostsings.com

A woman playing a brown, wooden ukulele and singing. She has white skin,brown hair with a thick fringe across her forehead. She is wearing a watch and a dress with an irregular dotted pattern.