Watch our full 2024 Christmas appeal video here.
CHSF’s Family Support team consists of Sarah Cherry, Head of Family Support, and Lucy McMahon who works alongside Sarah and focuses on young people who are going through transition in their care.
This year, the team have helped a record number of families with emotional, practical and financial support. Here’s a snapshot of their work in 2024 up to mid-December:
- 281 families received tailored family support
- 66 young people supported through our dedicated Youth service
- 140 Welcome packs delivered
- 46 Welcome to the world packs
- 75 Emergency packs delivered
- 366 Tesco vouchers given to families
- 214 meal vouchers for the hospital canteen
- 182 travel grants completed to support parents when traveling back and forth from the hospital
- 11 months of free parking
- 3 youth events
- 3 transition days
- 6 Cardiac cafes across the region
- 6 wellbeing days provided to families and siblings of long term in-patients
- 28 Wellbeing Wednesdays delivered on Ward L51
- 42 parents-to-be supported through the wellbeing station in Fetal Clinic
- 282 families given rooms in Eckersley house and CHSF’s own accommodation in Brotherton Wing
Sarah and Lucy offer a tailored service and aim to meet the needs of each individual family. Heart mum Mel told us how important this customised work was to her family:
“When your child is in the middle of a long stay in hospital, your whole world flips upside down and prioritising anything else feels like an impossible task. As parents, we often think that the only way to put our children first is to sit next to their bedside all day, every day and we forget to look after ourselves.
“As one of us needed to be with little Henry all the time, Tom and I were taking it in shifts, barely seeing each other for more than an hour a day and family time simply didn’t exist. We were doing everything in our power to try support each other, look after Henry in hospital and his brother Billy at home, but it was the hardest thing we’ve ever done.
“Sarah gave us a voucher for a meal out at a local restaurant. We were able to spend a few blissful hours enjoying a meal out just as us; as husband and wife, a normal couple, just Mel and Tom.”
“We were exhausted and struggling to find the light, feeling such a great amount of pressure and expectation upon our shoulders. Then CHSF swooped in to save the day at the perfect moment, as they often do.
“Tom and I were overwhelmed when Sarah came in with her usual beaming smile to say they wanted to treat us to a trip out and gave us a voucher for a meal out at a local restaurant. We were able to spend a few blissful hours enjoying a meal out just as us; as husband and wife, a normal couple, just Mel and Tom.
“You wouldn’t believe the difference this had on the rest of our stay. We felt our batteries recharge, the smiles returned and that light started to creep back in. This simple gesture of kindness, to us, was absolutely invaluable and I cannot thank CHSF enough.
“CHSF have been the catalyst to many of our happiest moments throughout the several admissions we’ve had on the paediatric cardiac ward, for which we will be eternally grateful.”
CHSF’s Family Support team are here to support families with whatever they need during their child’s hospital stay and beyond, and we can continue offering this service with your donations.
Please visit our JustGiving page and help grant this Christmas wish. Thank you!
Watch our full Christmas Wishes Appeal video, featuring lots of familiar faces – including staff, patients and families! Thanks to everyone who got involved!
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