Red Sky Foundation
1626. Sergio Petrucci
1627. Emma Petrucci
Sergio and Emma Petrucci, from Sunderland, set up ‘Red Sky Foundation’ to support the Children’s Heart Unit at the Freeman Hospital in Newcastle following life-saving treatment in 2015 for their daughter Luna.
The couple wanted to express their thanks by raising money to help fund machines, equipment, specialist nursing care, holistic treatment and more by collaborating with the Children’s Heart Unit Fund, hosting an annual Red Sky Ball and various fundraising challenges throughout the year. Sergio and Emma have now raised close to £400,000 to support the unit and fund the provision of defibrillators for community use across the region. Since 2020, ‘Red Sky Foundation’ has been registered as a charity, and the pair recently celebrated in February 2021 a “Wear Red Day” which saw landmarks across Tyne and Wear light up in red to raise awareness of congenital heart disease.
In a personal letter to Sergio and Emma, Prime Minister Boris Johnson said:
“In the five years since founding ‘Red Sky Foundation’ you have raised a staggering £350,000 for the Children’s Heart Unit in Newcastle, supporting a cause so close to your family’s heart.
“In addition to raising awareness of and funds for children with congenital heart defects, you have also raised the profile of heart disease in adults. The defibrillators you have donated to hospitals and public places across the North East will quite literally save lives.”
Sergio and Emma said:
“Thank you Prime Minister for this award in recognition of the support we are giving to help babies, children and now adults living with heart conditions. We set up the ‘Red Sky Foundation’ in 2016 after our daughter Luna had open heart surgery and her life was saved by the wonderful team of doctors and nurses at the Children’s Heart Unit in Newcastle’s Freeman Hospital. We’ve since raised hundreds of thousands of pounds enabling us to fund spectacular state of the art machines to help treat cardiac patients in hospitals across the North East; whilst in the last 12 months we’ve been donating 23 defibrillators to the Covid wards in Sunderland Royal Hospital to give patients the best chance of survival should they suffer a sudden cardiac arrest during their battle against the pandemic. In addition we have also been installing public access defibrillators in to communities, city centres, schools and work places to help make the region a safer place to live. However, none of this would be possible without the kind generosity we receive from the people who love what we’re doing including our corporate partners, fundraisers and most of all the many heart heroes who we’re helping every day.”