A Father and Grandad from Braintree will be tackling mud in an obstacle course challenge this weekend to raise vital funds for the hospice that cares for their son and grandson.

On Sunday 14th May, Rob Daniels and Phil Daniels will be climbing in and out of muddy ditches, scrabbling under cargo nets and running through woodlands as part of the 7 km Nuclear Rush Races course located in Brentwood.

The duo are raising money for Little Havens, the children’s hospice for Essex and the charity that cares for Rob’s son and Phil’s Grandson, Oscar.

Little Havens, located in Thundersley, cares for children and young across Essex with incurable conditions. Oscar was born with quadriplegia cerebral palsy, a four-limb movement disorder. Along with his family, Oscar has been visiting Little Havens since 2019 for respite and symptom management.

Oscar and his family are also supported within their home by the charity’s Hospice at Home team. This regular respite allows Adelaide, Oscar’s mum, and dad Rob to be parents, not carers, and helps give them time to rest.

Adelaide, Oscar’s mum says: “Hospice at Home has given us opportunities to go out when we wouldn’t feel comfortable leaving Oscar with anyone else. When they come into our home we don’t feel on edge; they accept us for who we are. We feel assured when they come to care for Oscar, we know he’s safe. Because of Hospice at Home, Rob and I were able to go out to a comedy night and dinner, which was really special because we hadn’t been out together for a few years.”

She continued, “Little Havens has taken the time to get to know Oscar, he’s not just someone who can’t talk. At the hospice Oscar is just ‘Oscar’. It’s important to the Care Team that he’s known for liking Harry Potter, and he’s known for liking music. It’s not about his medical condition and his medicines.”

Fundraising for the hospice is the family’s way of giving something back to the charity that has supported them through the toughest of times.

Adelaide said, “The first thing that comes to mind when I think of life without Little Havens is loneliness. I think our world would be very isolated and we wouldn’t have the opportunities to hold on to a little bit of hope.

“Little Havens is a safe place for families like ours, and without the fundraising, it wouldn’t exist. Taking part in this challenge is our way of giving back. Little Havens is so much more than somewhere children come to be cared for; they come here to be loved, to be supported, to be themselves.”

To sponsor Rob and Phil in their challenge visit https://www.justgiving.com/page/adelaide-daniels-1682260247842

Little Havens is a part of Havens Hospices, a registered charity and relies on the generosity of the community to fund its specialist hospice care free of charge to families across Essex. For more information about fundraising visit www.havenshospices.org.uk/fundraising

Published on 10th May 2023