Our charity partnership
Back in June we proudly announced that our new charity partner for the next two years was to be Together for Short Lives, a charity that supports 54 local children’s hospice services across the UK and provide advice and support to families nationwide. With our new charity partnership we are helping five local children’s hospices, all of which allow families to make the most of the time they spend together and ensure that children have as fulfilling lives as possible.
Meet the Abbott family
The work of Together for Short Lives is vital and the Abbott family have experienced the support they provide for all members of their family.
Lee and John Abbott, parents to Noah and Amber, have received life-changing support from Keech Hospice Care, one of the many hospices working with Together for Short Lives providing vital support for families.
“No parent is ever prepared to hear bad news about their child but when we were told that our baby girl had lissencephaly I couldn’t take it in. Doctors told us that Amber wouldn’t develop beyond a 3-5 month year old. Even with modern medicine and care, we realised that our child was going to have a limited life. I stopped worrying about how long she would survive and started focusing on her quality of life.”
Keech Hospice Care
For families like the Abbott family this is where hospices like Keech Hospice Care reach out and offer a helping hand.
“Hearing the word hospice is scary. You associate hospices with death and sadness but I was amazed at just how much Keech offered and how it could help the whole family. It was nice to know there were other parents out there going through the same thing. Being able to interact with other families and share experiences and advice is amazing. Keech isn’t just about the medical side of life; it is about providing a quality of life and giving these children some normality.”
Children’s hospices provide support for the entire family and Amber’s brother Noah has experienced this first hand.
“Noah, Amber’s brother, struggled with his new sister. He loves her to pieces but is angry that he is no longer my only concern. Keech gives Noah a platform of expression and he’s the centre of attention while we are there.”
“Day to day life is a struggle but Keech makes it that little bit easier to handle. I feel better that I am armed with the knowledge of what to expect and that I have a network of people able to support me. It’s incredible to think that Keech relies on donations to stay open and provide this fantastic service. If I won the lottery tomorrow I would definitely make sure that Keech was around for years to come.”
We’re extremely proud to be supporting this life changing charity and we will be keeping you updated with our fundraising efforts along the way. To learn more about the inspiring work of Together for Short Lives and the support they offer for families all over the UK, find out more here.
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