Like most teenagers across the UK, Holly George is looking forward to spending the festive period at home relaxing with family and friends.

But the 13-year-old, who has a life-threatening condition called DiGeorge’s Syndrome, is also urging people to support Wooden Spoon’s fundraising appeal this Christmas – to help young people like her have the holidays they deserve.

Holly, who lives in Beedon in Berkshire, was born with the genetic disorder and suffers from learning difficulties, severe leg cramps, heart problems, a weakened immune system and has to have a Tracheostomy tube to help her breath.

A pupil at the Kennet School in Thatcham, Holly uses a mobility scooter to get around and relies on a ventilator to breath.

As well as support from mum Sue, twin sister Abbie and older sister Emily, Holly is able to lead an active life thanks to nurses from the Alexander Devine Children’s Hospice.

The hospice is building Berkshire’s first children’s centre in Maidenhead to help children just like Holly spend time with their families in specially designed bedrooms, without the pressure of having to provide medical care.

This year Wooden Spoon, the children’s charity of rugby, hopes to raise £50,000 through its Christmas Appeal which could fund a children’s hospice bedroom to support children just like Holly who rely on hospice services.

“The money that the Wooden Spoon is raising will build a fantastic bedroom where the girls and other children can come and be themselves,” said Holly’s mum Sue.

“Hospices are not unhappy places, they are full of joy and laughter and they are a place where families go to be just that, families. We go to make memories there and they are memories which we cannot always make at home because we have to be the nurse or have to do unpleasant medical things that Holly doesn’t like but we have to do them."

“Whereas at a hospice we can hand that over to a nurse and just be mum and dad and the three girls, which is fantastic."

“Hospices are a place where anything can happen and it is where the magic happens – that is what a hospice is all about.”

Building work at Alexander Devine is already underway, and will eventually include day care facilities a hydrotherapy pool, art and crafts centre, sensory room and accommodation.

But Holly is hoping Wooden Spoon can ensure other children, just like her, can benefit in the same way.

“It would be annoying for my sisters but fun for me because I talk in my sleep,” she laughed.

“But I feel very happy that Wooden Spoon is doing this campaign because it would make me not feel different to anybody else and it would make me feel special instead.”

“It takes a lot of the stress off of next year because you know there are lots of people out there who have your back,” added sister Emily.

“It means you can relax over Christmas because you know there are people out there trying to help you.”

Wooden Spoon started with an £8,000 campaign in 1983 and now invests in more than 70 projects helping an estimated 20,000 children each year.

“Donations are the lifeblood of the charity,” said Wooden Spoon chief operating officer Barry Monahan.

“Without them we would not be doing any work whatsoever. We do run events but we rely very heavily on our supporters and members of the general public."

“We don’t receive any government funding so every penny has to come from donations which as soon as we have them, they are spent almost immediately.”

The money raised will help more children like Holly this Christmas and beyond. Please donate and change local children’s lives. See Holly's story here: www.woodenspoonchristmas.org.uk