Letter to editors

Dear Editor,

As the year draws to a close, we think about spending precious time with loved ones, but for many families with a sick child in hospital they’ll be worried about how they can be by their child’s side.

Can you imagine having a seriously sick child in hospital and you’re not able to be by their bedside at this traumatic time? The Sick Children’s Trust is there to make sure no child faces hospital alone and can have their family by their side, especially at Christmas.

This Christmas we expect all ten of our ‘Homes from Home’ to be full, ensuring that families with a seriously ill child in hospital can be together, but we can only do this with your help.

It costs The Sick Children’s Trust £40 to keep a family together for one night but that is only increasing with the cost of living crisis. Help us make sure families can be together this Christmas. Last year we supported Alfie’s family in our Crawford House ‘Home from Home’. His mum Becy said:

 “Crawford House really felt like a home from home. There was a large Christmas tree in the reception, and we had a communal kitchen, warm bedroom and bathroom. I found it so incredibly hard to leave Alfie on the ward each night, so to come back to such a warm, homely place like Crawford House, meant the world to us. It made a very difficult time that little bit easier.

“With Christmas being our favourite time of year, we wanted to start our own family traditions. One of which was to read ‘The Night before Christmas’ to Alfie, something made possible by the close proximity of Crawford House to the ward. Though it wasn’t the first Christmas we had planned, we still got to spend precious time with our baby.

“Following his recovery Alfie is now thriving. While we will be making the most of this special time, we will also be thinking about the families spending Christmas in hospital and at Crawford House this year. We know how heartbreaking it is to have a child in hospital at any time, but over the festive period is particularly difficult. We’re urging everyone to support The Sick Children’s Trust and their Christmas appeal so that every family can be together over the festive period.”

All families should be together during this precious time of year. I hope you’ll be able to donate to our Together at Christmas appeal as no matter how big or small your donation, you’ll be helping us to keep families, like Alfie’s, together at Christmas and beyond. Please visit our website sickchildrenstrust.org to donate.

Wishing you and your family a happy and healthy festive season.

Jane Featherstone

Chief Executive at The Sick Children’s Trust