This Christmas, help our nursing team to say “Yes!”
to adults and children with an incurable condition.
Our ability to first say “Yes!” when a family asks if they can come to the hospice – or if one of our nurses can go to see them at home – depends on the financial support we receive from people like you. Our ability to put a tree and Christmas decorations in a patient’s bedroom – depends on the donations local people make. Offering a full Christmas dinner to whole families at the hospice – as we always try to do because it could be their last one together – depends on fundraising and donations.
For our Care Team, their role is taking care of the ‘medical’ stuff – so that we can then make the fun stuff; because those are the special moments we know families treasure so much. They’re the moments that will become their most precious memories in years to come.
Please give a gift to the hospice this Christmas - and you will be helping us to say "Yes!" to someone who needs us over the holidays.
Like when primary school teacher Alice asked if she could have her last Christmas dinner at the hospice with her family, we said “Yes!” and packed her Christmas Day with all the things she wanted.
Help us say "Yes!"Alice was the character in our family. She was a passionate, dedicated primary school teacher. So, her terminal cancer diagnosis, at just 32 years of age, was an absolute hammer blow.
Alice faced her cancer as the fighter she had always been, with positivity and humour. But the cancer beat her; it had reached her spine and we knew she was at the end of her days. Alice went to Fair Havens on the 19th December.
The hospice was a blessing for all. Christmas was Alice’s favourite time of year – and so they made sure to make Christmas Day special for us. Alice (and us!) were given presents by the nurses in the morning. Alice asked if her niece could come in to open the presents Alice had bought her. “Yes!” was the reply (as it was for every request).
Alice had a good day, for her it was a good Christmas – and we’ll always remember it that way.
For the next two weeks, the nurses looked after Alice like she was their own sister or daughter.
The night Alice died in early January we were with her, just her mum and dad. They said, “It won’t be long now.” We lay next to her on the bed and held her hands. She was utterly at peace, with no pain.
Denise and Bernard, Alice's parents
Like the time last year, when the Care Team cheered up little Archie by dressing as his favourite Pokémon character.
Help us say "Yes!"Our son Archie was just five when he died, with us holding his hands, at Little Havens. No parent should ever have to lose a child. But we have the comfort of knowing that he was in the right place – with Little Havens nurses giving him the best possible care he could have received.
Archie was just three when they found a brain tumour, right on the brain stem. Weeks and weeks of tests, scans and operations at Great Ormond Street Hospital turned out to be in vain. There was nothing they could do to stop the tumour from growing – we were told we were going to lose our little boy.
Little Havens was recommended to us – and although we knew the name, we didn’t really know anything about our local children’s hospice – until we walked through the front door for the first time. It was a bright, happy place, full of kids and families living life to the fullest, no matter how challenging and complex the child’s condition.
Archie loved Little Havens. His ‘lead’ nurse was Emma – and he would excitedly ask, “Are we going to Emma’s House?” whenever we got in the car.
Never a moment was wasted at Little Havens – and the nurses and staff there went to extraordinary levels to give us the best time we could possibly have with Archie. We were all looked after, we never had to ask for food or a cup of tea. Anything we wanted to do, especially anything Archie wanted, the answer was always “Yes!”
We managed to have one last Christmas at home together, which is what we all wanted, and then, as a whole family we came to Little Havens on 7th January for care at the end of Archie’s life. The care from the nurses meant we could still spend time with him enjoying all the facilities there, it was only on the day he died that he was unable to leave his bedroom.
We’ve been fundraising for Little Havens since Archie died, so that other children and families can have the same wonderful care he knew. We want the nurses to have the time and the funds to be able to say “Yes!” to other kids like him – so that their families can have the same memories we cherish today. Our family would be thrilled if you could help too. Thank you.
Yi and Simon, Archie’s mum and dad
