The powerful bond between actor Marc Elliott and 12-year-old Sebby Slater is immediately evident, filled with laughter and affection. To Sebby, who lives with cerebral palsy, the former EastEnders star is simply ‘Uncle Marc’ – a constant source of joy and support since birth.
A Friendship Forged in Adversity
Marc Elliott, 46, best known for his groundbreaking role as Syed Masood, the UK's first openly gay Muslim soap character, has been a rock for Sebby's mother, actress Ann Wenn. The pair met 23 years ago in Austria during a production of Dangerous Liaisons. Ann, 52, from West Sussex, describes their friendship as "based upon laughing in the face of adversity".
"Marc has literally been there through everything," she says, "not just with Sebby but with the loss of my mum and my sister too. He gives me strength." While both have successful acting careers, including Ann's appearances in Doctors and Holby City, it's Marc's role as an honorary uncle that brings him the greatest fulfilment.
A Miraculous Survival and a Lifelong Challenge
Sebby's journey began with trauma. Ann's pregnancy and planned home birth were progressing perfectly until a rare umbilical cord prolapse occurred during delivery. This one-in-a-thousand complication restricted oxygen and blood flow. "Sebby, being starved of oxygen, wasn't alive on delivery," Ann reveals.
An ambulance crew, arriving within minutes, performed a miraculous resuscitation. As Sebby grew, developmental differences became apparent. He was diagnosed with cerebral palsy around six months old. Cerebral palsy is a life-limiting condition affecting movement, posture, and balance, caused by changes in the developing brain.
Technology Unlocking Potential and Joy
Today, Marc is championing the Mirror's Christmas appeal for the charity Lifelites, which provides cutting-edge assistive and sensory technology to children with life-limiting conditions. Lifelites partners with 65 children's hospices and palliative care services across Britain and Ireland. Shockingly, while 100,000 children in the UK have life-limiting conditions, only 15,000 currently have access to such life-changing tech.
The charity supplies innovative tools like:
- Eyegaze: Allows users to control a device using only their eyes.
- Magic Carpet: Projects interactive images like football pitches or underwater scenes onto a floor.
- Soundbeam: Translates body movement into music.
Sebby was introduced to Eyegaze at age two after professionals noted his intelligence. He now attends Ingfield Manor School in Five Oaks, which specialises in Conductive Education. There, he uses iClick Switches to gain control of his environment and the Soundbeam to create music.
"The first time he went on the Magic Carpet I cried. It was magical," Ann recalls. "Every child like Sebby should have access to this." Marc adds, "It's an absolutely incredible cause. Every child deserves to be happy and stimulated."
Celebrating Milestones and Looking Ahead
The family recently celebrated a major milestone when Sebby, using a new walker, took independent steps. "We were all speechless and in tears," Ann says. While the future is uncertain, Ann focuses on the present. "He's the most amazing, happy little boy and I am the most blessed and proud mother."
Marc expresses awe at Ann's resilience: "I don't understand how Ann has done it with grace, patience, and an unbelievable amount of generosity of spirit." He considers his role in Sebby's life "an enormous privilege".
The Mirror's Lifelites campaign has also garnered support from Strictly Come Dancing and rugby star Chris Robshaw and his wife, singer Camilla Kerslake. They urge the public to help "unwrap the magic of Christmas" for seriously ill children by donating.
Readers can support the appeal by donating online, texting MIRROR to 70085 to give £10, or sending cheques to Lifelites at 60 Great Queen Street, London WC2B 5AZ.
