Milan had a range of complex conditions caused by the lack of oxygen at birth.  It affected his vital organs and the brain with life–changing diagnosis. The doctors gave little hope but the family chose to continue not to terminate treatments and hoped his fight for life continued for as long as he could.

He was supported by Little Havens up until his 19^th birthday, after which he received support from The J’s and other young adult hospice services.  

Milan died in November 2010 aged 23 years old. In November 2020 to mark the 10^th anniversary of his passing, Milan’s aunt Joy shaved her head raising over £4,000 for Little Havens and The J’s in his memory.

Joy said, “Mili is very special to us – we are so thankful to both Little Havens and The J’s for their support of Mili throughout a sizeable part of his life. Mili loved his visits to Little Havens and never wanted to come home. To mark the 10th year of his passing, I wanted to honour Mili’s memory and say Thank You to both these hospices for the amazing work they do. I will keep it shaved till 15th February 2021 which would have been Mili’s birthday.

Milan’s Mum Trusha said, “Through Milan’s journey – the good and difficult times – Little Havens was quite literally  a “safe haven” for us.  A place we could call home and where we could be ourselves.  We will always hold a big place in our hearts for Little Havens, for the unconditional love, care and support given to us.  We were able to trust them wholeheartedly with Milan. It is at Little Havens we created some of our most treasured memories with Milan.”

“Arriving at the hospice, entering the big front doors, it immediately felt welcoming with the comforting smells of the delicious foods that were cooked for all!  Seeing the sheer joy on Milan’s face when he saw his favourite carer Judy.  His laughter, the silly noises, the dancing, the singing – Judy was an angel not just for Milan but for us too! The laughter can never be forgotten.”

“The J’s were an amazing source of knowledge and liaised with our local hospital, moving mountains to get Milan the comfort and symptoms management back in place.  Without The J’s, our family would have witnessed Milan suffer the pain, discomforts and unnecessary anxieties.  We were extremely fortunate to have the support of The J’s and their staff supporting Milan to the very end of his life with dignity.”

“After Milan died, we attended the yearly Little Havens Thanksgiving Remembrance Service. Of course, last year’s was very different.  We missed being able to visit the hospice and feel connected.”

“However, with the online service our children were not forgotten and we felt incredibly still connected with being part of a beautiful arrangement in one of the toughest times faced by so many.” 

To find out more about how you or someone you know would benefit from the care at Little Havens or The J’s, please click here.

If you would like to donate to Little Havens or The J’s please click here.

Published in 2021