An extraordinary advocate
When David Spurdle, Stand by Me Founding Director, visited Upminster Baptist Church in 2007 to speak about the work of Stand by Me, he met Dr Janet Dacie alongside her husband Norman. At the time, David had no idea the impact that Janet would have on Stand by Me through her sponsorship, support and dedication to being an advocate. At the end of 2025, while Janet was in St Francis Hospice receiving end-of-life care, she recounted her journey of involvement with Stand by Me.
“On one occasion, I heard David Spurdle, Stand by Me Founding Director, speak at my church. After hearing David share, I decided to support the charity to employ nurses in Myanmar to vastly improve the health of the children, providing medical supplies, mosquito nets, medical kits, nurse training and water filtration systems. Employing the nurses saw an improvement in the health of the children, and as their health improved, so did their school attendance and performance. Stand by Me was caring for over 2,200 children in Myanmar and I was thankful to be playing my part in helping to change their lives.
I received updates and feedback on the progress of the nurses and the children they cared for and my support expanded as I heard more children’s stories and was able to impact their lives, particularly through helping to provide medical care.
But the transformative moment for me was when I was invited to attend Stand by Me’s 20th Anniversary in 2015. I was struck by how Stand by Me had come so far, then caring for 3,500 children and enabling them to experience a life of love, hope and dignity as they met their individual needs. As Stand by Me shared their hopes and plans for the future, they launched an initiative and invited me to become an advocate - someone who speaks out on behalf of children.
I was challenged and I knew I had to sponsor a child, but I didn’t know how to communicate with my sponsor child. I had a wealth of experience communicating with adults and professionals in the medical field but not with children. Therefore, I asked the Founding Director, David Spurdle, to write the first letter to my sponsored child.
Since then sponsoring children has been a great blessing in my life and I have seen the children I have supported grow, progress and succeed in life thanks to the care, education and love they receive. Through exchanging letters, I have got to know the children and just recently since being in St Francis Hospice, I received this letter from my sponsored child Rebecca in Myanmar:
Dear Janet and Norman, I wanted you to know that I am praying for you. I am writing this with a heart full of emotions that it is difficult to find the right words. God is watching over us. God cares for us and God knows what is best for us. You taught me about a love that asks for nothing in return. My dearest Janet, I understand you must prepare for your next journey. I am saying “Goodbye”. How can I? You are leaving me, but you are not leaving me empty. You are leaving me full, full of love, full of strength and full of memories. The kindness you showed me, I will show to others. The patience you had I will now practice. The future you invested in, I will now live. Lots of love, from your child, Rebecca.”
Janet was a tremendous advocate and there are not enough words to express the impact her generosity has had on the lives of Stand by Me children around the world. Through her child sponsorship, giving and advocacy, she has left a legacy of love that will impact into eternity. While in St Francis Hospice, we spent time with Janet and she shared that she had hoped to take part in February on the Floor, sleeping on the floor to raise money to provide beds for Stand by Me children, ”just one more time”. It was a challenge she had taken on four times previously, raising over £8,000 to provide beds for children. She reflected that as a great grandmother, discomfort for two nights was completely worth it as she had witnessed the the impact of beds on families on her visits to Ethiopia and Nepal.
This desire to always do more for the children in our care was a quality that Janet inspired in others. We said goodbye to Janet as she went to glory on 11th of January 2026, and her faithful generosity and compassion continues to leave its mark on Stand by Me and will forever.