AN ANNUAL balloon release in memory of a five-year-old boy has helped the Barry charity created in his name to benefit 16 youngsters.

The JAM Fund (Jamie Adamson Memorial) fund donated £4,000 worth of gifts, after the attached tags were found.

Jamie Adamson, of Barry, died on January 20, 2004, following a two year battle with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukaemia.

Jamie's dad Paul, 50, established the JAM Fund in 2005 with former Barry & District News editor, Shira Valek.

Mr Adamson runs the charity assisted by his wife Denise and elder son Sam.

He decided to honour Jamie's memory and celebrate his life by releasing one red balloon every year until Jamie would have reached adulthood.

The release would take place on Christmas Day, Jamie's birthday, until he was 18 years old, in 2016.

He began adapting the balloon release and added a tag to each balloon asking anyone finding them to make contact so children in the finder's location could be assisted.

A string of coincidences occurred in 2016.

Mr Adamson said: "I had been trying to get the London Marathon to give the JAM Fund an official runner's place for 10 years, and finally got one in 2014 for the 2015 race. A few days later, I was contacted by friends in Bournemouth who knew a lady in their running club who was desperate to run in the event but couldn't get in.”

He offered the place to Suzy who raised more than £2,000 for the charity.

A month before the April 2016 race, he was contacted by Sara who found a balloon in woodland, in Ferndown, Dorset.

Sara was Suzy's best friend and the balloon had landed barely half a mile from Suzy's home.

The JAM Fund donated more than £1,000 to three-year-old, Perri, living local to both women and transformed her bedroom while she was in hospital undergoing a bone marrow transplant to fight cancer.

She was the same age Jamie was at diagnosis and suffering with the same leukaemia.

Mr Adamson said: "The odds on a balloon finding its way to within half a mile of our solitary official London Marathon runner, being found by her best friend, and a little girl with exactly the same condition as Jamie himself all coming together to benefit this little girl were astounding.

"The wind speed and direction could have been to any point in the UK and I was very happy at the result it meant something to me personally too."

The last release of 18 balloons took place on a cold and windy Christmas Day.

Five burst immediately and their respective tags were recovered,

The initial 13 balloons took off at speed and Mr Adamson released five a few days later in better conditions.

Replies arrived quickly.

Three were from women in Oxfordshire - Abingdon, Radley and Postcombe, Thame.

Two were found in Buckinghamshire, one by 20-year-old Sam Smith, of Bledlow Ridge and one from Helen Wallace, in Hyde End.

From the second release of five balloons, one reply was gained from Gareth at Wenvoe Castle.

As a result of the replies, Jamie's charity has donated £250 to four children in each area.

Mr Adamson contacted two children's cancer nurses who nominated eight children, four in John Radley Children's Hospital, Oxford, and four in Stoke Mandeville Hospital, Buckinghamshire.

From the locally found balloon, he asked Dow Corning colleagues, in Barry, if they could help find some children.

Four were found in the Cynon Valley area and the Adamson’s were delighted to welcome two of the local children to their home to collect the gifts they requested.

14-year-old Tansy, of Aberdare, received a 32" smart TV/DVD player and DVDs and 12-year-old Jameson, of Cwmbach, received an Xbox one and some GAME vouchers.

Two other children, Sam and Luke, received £250 GAME vouchers to purchase Xbox and Playstation games of their choice.

Mr Adamson added: "When the charity was established, I was hoping to raise £5,000 to thank the children's cancer unit in Llandough Hospital for their care of Jamie. The initial fundraiser was in the 2005 London Marathon where my life-long friend Ceri Binding literally dragged me around the course and we raised £4,300 collectively.

“The fundraising has continued since then and Jamie's memory has now raised over £400,000. I am very proud of what this tiny charity has achieved and it has had a positive impact on quite literally thousands of children and their families, including helping to send six children for treatment in the USA, the purchase of a fully equipped wheelchair adapted minibus and a static caravan holiday home which was offered to poorly children for free holidays as well as over £100,000 worth of medical equipment to various children's hospital wards in hospitals throughout the UK.”

Mr Adamson thanked all of those in the UK who have supported the charity.

The JAM Fund raises funds with having a team in the annual Cardiff half marathon in October.

To join the team, contact jamfund@sky.com or visit www.jamfund.co.uk