Louise Bartlett made the generous donation to cover the cost of a day of care on 7th April 2023 at the hospice which cared for her daughter Kelsi, who died aged 16 months in 2009.

The care and support the charity provided extended to the whole family throughout this incredibly difficult time and ever since the family has continued to fundraise for the charity.

Over the past 10 years since Kelsi’s death, the family has organised football and netball tournaments, running and walking fundraisers, and a charity ball to raise vital funds for Little Havens, so the hospice can support other families just like theirs.

Louise said, “Little Havens means such a lot to us as a family. The care we were given and shown was beyond compare. Kelsi passed away suddenly while away on a family holiday, at only 16 months old. She rested at Little Havens and the staff were there for all of us as a family. Caring for her when we couldn’t as parents, not being able to bring her home. They supported us during the worst nightmare of our lives. Looking after Kelsi’s brother and sister while we spent precious time with her, our last moments.

She continued, “The nurses carried out all our requests, tucking her in at night and pulling her curtains. They played her a CD throughout the day. There are no words to describe the support we had during the days leading up to her funeral. We decided to raise £1,000 for every year since we had lost her. It was a longer journey than we anticipated to raise the money which was hindered by the pandemic, but we kept going. Sadly, we lost loved ones on the way and life was hard at times, but we reached our target and everyone should be so proud. We cannot thank our family and friends enough, we could not have raised this amazing amount of money without them. Every donation, especially around Kelsi’s birthday and Christmas, means so much to us as a family.”

Louise and all her family were welcomed to the hospice on the chosen date by members of the Care Team to thank them for their generous contribution.

‘Pay for a Day’ is a way of supporting 24 hours of care at one of the charity’s hospices – Fair Havens in Southend-on-Sea or Little Havens in Benfleet.

To find out more, visit www.havenshospices.org.uk/payforaday

Published 8th June 2023