Children's Hospice Week 2024
We’re joining Together for Short Lives and our fellow children’s hospices across the UK in celebrating everything that makes our services special – from the lifeline care provided by our expert teams to our incredible families that use our services.
Charlotte's story: embracing fun
At EACH, we believe in the power of short breaks not just for parents and carers, but for the children themselves.
"Charlotte has freedom when she comes here. Her life is consumed with care and medication and it’s all about her health needs, so when she comes here it’s all about fun."
Discover how these breaks bring joy and laughter into Charlotte's life, offering her a much-needed escape and a chance to simply be a child.
Long-Term Ventilation: expert nursing care
At EACH our specialist Long-Term Ventilation (LTV) team provide expert and safe care for children requiring ongoing ventilation.
Hear from LTV and Respiratory Clinical Nurse Specialist, Rachel van den Brink-Budgen, as she explains what exactly LTV care entails.
Charlotte, who enjoys her short breaks at EACH, benefits from this comprehensive support, ensuring she can experience fun and freedom alongside her necessary medical care.
Gintaras' story
Gintaras Treciokas, born with congenital hydrocephalus, began receiving end-of-life care from EACH. Despite initial fears, he defied the odds and thrived after successful surgery. Now approaching his ninth birthday, he enjoys a happy life and full-time education.
"We were fortunate to have such fantastic support from EACH," says his mother, Ausra.
Bridging language differences
We are also thrilled to share this as our first translated family story! Our translation services make our care more accessible, with family information leaflets available in nine languages.
This initiative ensures that all families, regardless of language differences, can access the support and care they need.
Amali's story: little acts of kindness
Jane, a bereaved mum, shares how thoughtful gestures from the care team made a big difference whilst her son, Amali, was receiving end-of-life care. From bringing Jane’s favourite food at short notice and helping with laundry to caring for Amali's brother Billy, these acts allowed her to focus on Amali.
"These things seem small and insignificant but make the biggest difference. They’re little acts of kindness that mean so much," says Jane.
Supporting siblings: a safe and happy place
Hospices can be a confusing and scary concept for siblings of children who need our services. Our recent siblings' day revealed that after receiving support from us, siblings described the hospice as a 'safe place,' 'happy place,' and a place where they feel 'excited' and 'looked after.'
Take a look at their submissions.
