A WIRRAL charity has released a song to support children with Cockayne Syndrome.

Amy & Friends, an Oxton-based charity supporting children with Cockayne Syndrome and linked DNA repair disorders and their families, released “War Child” to raise vital funds and awareness of its work.

The song was gifted to the charity by North West audio and film production company TT23 Studios, after the business began supporting the organisation and capturing footage of its work.

What is Cockayne Syndrome?

Cockayne syndrome, also called Neill-Dingwall syndrome, is a rare and fatal autosomal recessive neurodegenerative disorder characterized by growth failure, impaired development of the nervous system, abnormal sensitivity to sunlight, eye disorders and premature aging.

The song was originally inspired by current events and the hardships faced by children, particularly those facing battles they cannot win, and written and composed by TT23 managing directors Tania Cornick and Tom Foulkes.

Amy & Friends founder, Jayne Hughes said: “When I listened to ‘War Child’ the words just reflected what the children and young people that Amy & Friends supports experience.

“Every day they are in a fight for their lives - for answers, diagnosis, for the right kind of help and to enable them to have the best and most fulfilling lives they can while battling these conditions that take too many of them from us too soon.

“We are so grateful to TT23 for all their support and for giving us the gift of this beautiful song.”

Amy & Friends was set up by Jayne and her family in 2007, following many years of searching for a diagnosis for her daughter, Amy.

Amy was eventually diagnosed at the age of 14 with DNA repair disorders Cockayne Syndrome/XRCC4.

She died on January 1, 2020 aged 28.

Amy’s legacy now continues through the work of the charity, helping children and their families in gaining diagnosis, providing information for medical papers, aiding research programmes, offering respite and 24/7 online support, organising transport and accommodation, and accompanying 10 families twice monthly to a specialist clinic in London, as well as delivering regular outreach events.

Tania, lyricist and vocalist on the song, added: “These children go through everything that the lyrics state and this is what makes it hard-hitting and truthful.

"The music composition coupled with lyrics are extremely powerful.

"Amy was a beautiful soul that was desperate to help others, especially her friends that were dying very young from these illnesses.

"Her love and strength need to live on and will through the people she continues to inspire.”

To honour Amy’s memory, the final version of the song ends with words of hope and resilience, spoken by Amy: “Keep smiling everybody”.

Tom, the song’s producer and mix engineer said: “After seeing Jayne’s reaction to the song, we decided to gift it to the charity, to help raise awareness of its work and everything these children and their families have been through and continue to go through, as well as vital funds.

“The song now has a whole new meaning to it, and it feels like it was always meant to be a song for Amy & Friends.”

The song was released to the public on Saturday, September 21.

To download or stream the track visit all major streaming platforms: https://artists.landr.com/055855300096.