Bereaved parents have bravely shared their story as a way of raising funds and awareness for the children’s hospice that cared for their four-year-old son.
George Radcliffe was diagnosed with the soft tissue tumour Rhabdomyosarcoma, in May 2022.
He was referred to East Anglia’s Children’s Hospices (EACH) the following Spring and died at Milton – the charity’s Cambridgeshire base – last October.
Now parents David and Lisa, who have since become prolific fundraisers, have spoken out to support EACH’s Summer Appeal – a campaign aiming to raise in the region of £27,000.
In addition to an online appeal, their words feature on a letter that is set to drop through 14,000 doors across Cambridgeshire, Essex, Norfolk and Suffolk from today (10th July).
It is also part of an ongoing social media campaign and being emailed to 6,000 people.
“We believe every family, with a child who has long-term medical needs, deserves an EACH family like we found,” said Lisa, who lives in Isleham.
“George would want you to know that it became his second home, the staff were his friends and we love them like our family.
“Even towards the end, when he was too tired to play, he didn’t want to be stuck in his bedroom. He wanted to be on the sofa on the care floor, looking through the doors and watching out for birds and squirrels.
“When it came to the end, the team acted so sensitively and cared for George beautifully.
“That’s why we’re very pleased to tell our story and continue supporting EACH, raising awareness, volunteering and fundraising wherever we can.”
The appeal taps into George’s love of the nature and wildlife he encountered at Milton.
“We wanted to try and recreate that theme, giving the impression of George looking out through the window at the birds and squirrels,” said Alec Burns, EACH’s Individual Giving Manager, who has overseen the Summer Appeal.
“We were also keen to use the image of a signpost, highlighting some of our ‘care pathway’ options.
“Being able to provide a tangible example of how one family accessed those services is so powerful and we’re extremely grateful to Lisa and David.
“By sharing their story and being so incredibly supportive, it will raise thousands of pounds to help us continue our vital work.”
In terms of personal fundraising, David completed a 100-mile bike ride, in London, and recently joined family and friends to take on EACH’s 32-mile Pier 2 Pier walk, in Norfolk. Between them, they raised a staggering £26,000.
Lisa and two close friends gave up their time as volunteers, handing out medals at the finish.
To make a donation to EACH’s Summer Appeal, click here or head to each.org.uk/summerappeal