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CLAIRE HOUSE LAUNCHES APPEAL
The number of dying children needing the support
of a hospice has risen so dramatically in our area that
Claire House says it risks having to turn families away.
To meet the demand, Claire House is launching an
urgent appeal.
“The number of children coming to Claire House has
risen 84% in the last six years. We are getting to the point
where we might have to turn families away. To stop this
from happening we are asking the people of Merseyside
to help us reach every dying child,” says David Pastor,
Chief Executive of Claire House.
To raise awareness of the importance of its work, the
charity is launching a campaign that uses real statements
telling stories of what life is like for families who need
help from Claire House. The statements will be in Claire
House shops, on the radio and on billboards.
“There’s no manual to tell you what to do when you lose a
child. Luckily most parents won’t need one. But for those
who do, the practical advice of Claire House – helping
to arrange the funeral and offering counselling to the
whole family can be invaluable,” says Nicki Givin from
Liverpool. Her son, Shea, visited the hospice for six years
but sadly passed away last October.
“There is nothing more they can do for our little boy,”
Jackie Wild from the Wirral recalls the devastating
moment she was told this by the doctors looking after
her son. Elliot came to Claire House for end of life care
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in 2011. He was nine years old when he died. Had the
family known about the hospice earlier, they could have
benefitted from years more support.
One of the main reasons for the increase in demand is
that advances in medicine mean that babies and young
children, who are born with - or develop - serious
illnesses, are living longer with ever more complex
conditions.
“Our job is to help families spend precious time together
making memories that will last a lifetime,” says Lesley
Fellows, Nurse Consultant at Claire House.
“We cannot change the prognosis of the children who
come to Claire House but we can help families cope at
some of the toughest times of their lives. This might mean
getting a child out of hospital and providing medical care
so they can either go home or come to the hospice,” she
adds.
Money raised by the appeal will be spent on increasing
the care the charity offers families in their homes, helping
more children at the hospice on the Wirral and building a
new children’s hospice in Liverpool.
To find out more about how to get involved with the
appeal visit clairehouse.org.uk