Watch as Belfast's Easter Bunny delivers bundles of eggs to kids in hospital
"We're very happy with how much it has grown. It just shows how many good people are out in the world."
For children and young people across Northern Ireland having to be in hospital or receiving hospice care this Easter, it can be an anxious time for them and their families.
But for almost ten years, one Belfast schoolgirl has been delivering Easter cheer and plenty of chocolate as part of her big-hearted annual tradition.
For the past nine years, inspirational north Belfast teenager, Jasmine Parker, has delivered around 15,000 eggs to children in Northern Ireland's hospitals and the NI Children's Hospice.
Jasmine started the now annual tradition after asking her mum, Maggie, if children at the hospital received chocolate eggs during the Easter holidays and she decided to make sure no child missed out.
It all began back in 2016, when Jasmine, now aged 15, delivered just over 100 eggs, followed by 200 eggs in 2017 and then 400 a year later. Every year since then she has set a new record and pretty much smashes it every time.
In 2023, she managed to deliver 2,307 and travelled over 500 miles to eight hospitals including the NI Children's Hospice In 2020 the charitable tradition was put on hold due to the Covid-19 pandemic, but Jasmine and her family still managed to raise £300 for the Hospice with a raffle and delivered 200 eggs.
Despite being in the middle of studying for her impending GCSEs, Jasmine, who attends the Belfast Model School for Girls, has managed to collect a mammoth total of 3,812 Easter eggs for delivery this year.
Jasmine told Belfast Live: "Me and my mummy were in Tesco getting Easter eggs and I asked, did the sick children in the hospital get any Easter eggs for Easter? She said she didn't know so I asked if I could take a few and it all started from there. In my first year I was able to collect 120 Easter eggs, but today I'm able to collect 3,812 Easter eggs."
As soon as Christmas is over, Jasmine starts focusing on her next year's appeal, buying her first egg every year on January 1. In recent years her campaign has been boosted by generous donations and support from The Belfast Giants. and That Prize Guy.
It's another busy week for Jasmine and her devoted mum Maggie, as they visit hospitals across NI to make sure all children will have something to enjoy this week.
They began on Monday at the Ulster Hospital followed by the Royal Belfast Hospital For Sick Children. This week will also see them travel to visit children in Enniskillen, Derry, Newry and Omagh.
Jasmine said: “I've always just wanted to make sure children have a nice Easter and it will be great to make 3,812 smiles this year. Since 2016 it has grown significantly, but we are very happy with how much it has grown and how many people are willing to help.
"It just shows how many good people are out in the world. Once again this year, people have been so generous from all over including my own school with egg and cash donations and That Prize Guy who donated over 800 Easter eggs."
Jacklyn Jamison, Play Services Co-ordinator at the Belfast Trust, added: "We have known Jasmine since she was a little girl. She's been coming here for the last nine years and certainly between her and her mum we so look forward to them coming every year."
Video by Belfast Live videographer Harry Bateman.
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