Friends of The Sick Children’s Trust have one very important thing in common: making sure that we can continue to keep families with a seriously ill child in hospital together through their regular donations.
Over the course of July, we will be sharing the stories of some of our Friends and why they have chosen to give a regular donation to The Sick Children’s Trust. Alinde and John have been one of our Friends for the past five years.
“I remember when I was young teenager, back in the 60s, my younger brother was taken ill with osteomyelitis, which is a serious infection of the bone, and had to be treated at a hospital far from home. He was only two at the time. It put everyone under such a huge amount of stress. My parents would travel an hour, each way, every day on a moped to visit him. This was a long time ago now, but I still remember how worried I was and how much I wanted to see my brother.
I have been aware of The Sick Children’s Trust for many years and my husband, John, first heard about it through the local news when we were living in Leeds 11 years ago. The segment talked about the opening of a place called Eckersley House, which was a ‘Home from Home’ that would make sure families with a seriously ill child could stay together during their child’s treatment. We thought it was a great mission and it made me think how it might have made a difference for my family all those years ago.
“We thought it was a great mission and it made me think how it might have made a difference for my family all those years ago.”
I went along to the opening day to see the new facility. It was quite a relaxing environment, some families who were staying in the ‘Home from Home’ were there with their children. Michael Crawford was also there and we’ve been fans of his for many years.
We visited the ‘Home from Home’ another time when they held a fundraising event. We had a lovely time. Then, we went to a function in Cambridge where Michael Crawford spoke about The Sick Children’s Trust and his own personal experience of being in hospital when he was younger. That was when we decided to give our regular donation and become a Friend of The Sick Children’s Trust.
Even when you’re a grown up, having support while you’re in hospital is so valuable. John was in hospital himself for a long period of time and would always be cheered up after he had been able to have a visitor. We both can appreciate how much it must help a child being able to have their family close by while they are receiving hospital treatment.
We have been a Friend of The Sick Children’s Trust for five years now and we are happy to have given families with a seriously ill child in hospital a bit of normality in what must be an incredibly challenging time. Keeping the whole family together in the charity’s ‘Homes from Home’ gives them one less thing to worry about, which is a wonderful thing to be part of.”
Alinde and John Leonard
To find out more about becoming a Friend of The Sick Children’s Trust, visit our webpage.