Due to the sad passing of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, the planned broadcast of our BBC Lifeline Appeal has been postponed. The new broadcast details are as follows.
Broadcast 1: Tuesday 13 September, 9:05am on BBC Two.
Broadcast 2: To be confirmed.
We will share full details as soon as we have them.
In the coming weeks, The Sick Children’s Trust will take centre stage when our BBC Lifeline Appeal, presented by Strictly Come Dancing judge Anton Du Beke, will be broadcast on BBC One.
Ahead of this weekend’s broadcast, we introduce the three wonderful families who appear in this amazing showcase of our charity.
Jimmy, Lana and Jasmine
Jimmy and Lana Cross stayed in our ‘Home from Home’, Chestnut House in Cambridge when their daughter Jasmine needed surgery when she was just a few days old. Jasmine who has myelomeningocele – a form of spina bifida – was born in Cambridge, some 70 miles away from their home in Norwich, at the height of the COVID 19 global health pandemic.
The surgery removed a sac from the base of her spine that was the size of a cricket ball. With the ‘Home from Home’ being located on the hospital site just minutes from baby Jasmine’s bedside, Chestnut House made sure that the family could stay together while she recovered from her ordeal. Jimmy and Lana stayed at Chestnut House for three weeks, where they were given the help they needed to support Jasmine, giving them one less thing to worry about.
Yvette, Jonathan and Gracie
When their daughter Gracie needed a pioneering medical procedure, Yvette and Jonathan Mellalieu needed to make the 250-mile journey from their home in North Wales to London. Gracie has a rare disease called Morquio Syndrome, which comes with numerous complications including stunted growth. Gracie’s airway was becoming increasingly kinked and narrow as it grew inside her small frame, restricting the airflow to her lungs.
During Gracie’s operation and recovery, Yvette and Jonathan were given a place to stay in our ‘Home from Home’, Guilford Street House. Being able to stay just minutes away from Gracie’s hospital bedside removed the financial stress of expensive hotels and allowed them to give Gracie all the support she needed. For teenager Gracie, knowing that mum and dad could be there throughout her stay proved invaluable for her own mental health and wellbeing.
Sarah, Thomas and Finlay
Sarah and Thomas Pollock’s son Finlay was diagnosed with a serious heart condition when he was eighteen months old. The family from Northern Ireland spent more than 300 days in hospital at the Royal Belfast Hospital for Sick Children and then travelled the long distance to the Freeman Hospital in Newcastle.
We supported Finlay’s parents, Sarah and Thomas, on numerous occasions when they stayed at the charity’s ‘Home from Home’, Scott House in Newcastle. Scott House, located onsite at the Freeman just a couple of minutes away from the ward, meant they were never far from Finlay’s bedside. The ‘Home from Home’ provided Sarah and Thomas with a sanctuary for the duration of Finlay’s long wait for a heart transplant, giving them much-needed support.
To find out more, please visit the BBC Lifeline Appeal webpage by clicking here.