Together for Short Lives
Make Some Noise will help fund the vital care provided at this children’s hospice.
Like most new parents, Ian and Hannah couldn’t wait to go for their 20-week scan. But all that excitement turned to anxiety when the midwife went to fetch the doctor. They were told the most devastating news any parent can hear – their unborn daughter had a condition that meant it was very likely she would die in childhood.
“We left the hospital feeling like our world had fallen apart,” said Hannah.
“One minute we had been watching our child moving around on the monitor. The next, we were being told we would never see her grow up.”
10-month-old Alice was born with hydranencephaly, a central nervous system disorder characterized by an enlarged head and neurological deficits. Her family was forced to prepare for the worst as she spent her first 15 days fighting for her life in the neo-natal unit at the University Hospital of Wales.
“As it became increasingly clear the doctors could do nothing more to help her, they suggested we took her for end of life care at Tŷ Hafan,” said Ian.
“Being told by our doctors that we would have to go to Tŷ Hafan felt like the end, but it turned out to be a new beginning.”
Mum, Hannah said: “What we found at Tŷ Hafan was something truly special – a place filled with laughter and smiles and love. We knew straight away that this was where we wanted to be.”
Thankfully, Alice pulled through those early weeks and is now enjoying spending time at their home in Cardiff.
“There are so many ways Tŷ Hafan continues to be there for our family” said Ian.
“From the visits and phone calls from our family support practitioner, Hayley, to the short breaks we have at the hospice, they help make sure every moment we have with Alice is spent creating memories that will last forever. We know that when the time comes, and Alice reaches the end of her life, they will support us through that too.”
Capital FM supports Global's Make Some Noise, an appeal operated by Global Charities is a registered charity in England & Wales (1091657) & Scotland (SC041475). To learn more go to: www.makesomenoise.com
