WITH a cascade of colourful buttons, paraded carefully across the canvas, these pieces of art could easily be at home in the Tate Modern. They are, however, more special than that, they are a work of love.

Sitting in the dining room at Rainbows Hospice, talking to Abbi, it’s easy to see why Rainbows is such a special place. Even at 9am there is a buzz; people are coming and going, staff and parents having a meeting, families feasting on a late breakfast, children are off to have fun in the craft room – everywhere you look everyone seems to have a purpose, there is a real sense of energy.

Bright-eyed after her 5am swimming training session, Abbi White from Lutterworth, defies all typical teenage stereotypes. There is no doubt that she is an extraordinary girl from an extraordinary family. Yet Abbi considers herself to be in an ordinary family with her two brothers. It wasn’t until she grew older that she had more of an understanding of her older brother’s life limiting condition – Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD). ‘I didn’t really understand until I got older what it [Rainbows] was there for,’ says Abbi.

For a place that gives her family so much, it felt natural to help raise money for the Hospice, with the initial idea literally falling at her feet. ‘My mum’s button fell off her shirt and she was really annoyed because she couldn’t find any buttons and she got out this big box of buttons and straight away I was like – that’s the money maker right there!’ explains Abbi. ‘The whole goal was to make it about Rainbows, hence all the colours. I wanted to make it colourful – I wanted people to look at it and think of Rainbows and what an amazing place it is. Some pictures represent things, like Rainbows spread love and the buttons are spread out, spreading the love,’ adds Abbi.