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Every year on 4th February, people around the world come together to celebrate World Cancer Day- a day dedicated to raising awareness and the impacts it has on all those who are affected by it. At Helen & Douglas House, we see firsthand the impact of cancer on children and their families. Around one-third of our *acute workload consists of children with a cancer diagnosis, and our team works tirelessly to provide them with comfort, dignity, and support during their most challenging times.

*Acute workload refers to the patients that are discussed every week at our clinical meetings and need daily/ multiple times a week support.

Providing tailored care for children with cancer

Dr. Emily, one of our doctors, talks about how we tailor our care to fit the unique needs of children with cancer:

“Cancer patients at Helen & Douglas House most likely prefer care to fit around them, rather than to spend prolonger amounts of time in the hospice. This includes visiting them in hospital, and at home. We are often working as part of a wider team, including oncologists, community nurses, physiotherapists, occupational therapist, speech and language therapists, and their school. We usually therefore try to have meetings via Teams to talk together about the best way forward for these complex patients. Although we may know them for shorter times than some of our long-term neurological patients, the time that they are with us is often intense. We use the time that they have remaining to enable them to achieve their goals and achieve the best possible quality of life.”

josh with his mum at HDH_1500x1000

Grace’s story

Grace was just twelve years old when she was diagnosed with a brain tumour. Just before her fourteenth birthday, her family received devastating news that her tumour was no longer stable or treatable and she would require hospice care. Rebecca, Grace’s Mum said:

The thought of going to a hospice filled me with utter dread. Grace had several stays at Helen & Douglas House and always enjoyed being there, often asking if she could stay longer. Our last visit came in November of 2020, the day Grace passed away. We were given the blessed opportunity to stay with Grace for five further days after her passing. Grace was cared for with the utmost dignity and love by all the staff. They looked after my whole family, they cried with us, grieved with us, fed us and held our hands through the hardest time of our lives.”

Grace was a bright and funny girl, a natural comedian who loved making people laugh with silly dances and songs. Despite her illness, she always put others first, bringing joy to those around her.

josh with his mum at HDH_1500x1000

Creating happy memories

Grace loved coming to stay at the hospice. She especially loved the big bath and playing Uno with the nurses. The hospice provided her and her family with a safe and comforting environment, giving them the time and space to relax, knowing Grace was in good hands.

Supporting Grace and her family

Dr. Emily shares the medical and emotional support Grace and her family received:

“We supported Grace through a series of inpatient symptom management stays and continuous outreach care, including home nursing visits and 24/7 phone support. Our team helped her family develop an advanced care plan, ensuring her complex symptoms such as pain, dizziness, seizures, and respiratory challenges were well managed. As Grace’s illness progressed, she struggled to communicate verbally, so we adapted by using hand signs, pointing, and an iPad to interact.”

At Helen & Douglas House, the bereaved siblings of children with cancer make up the largest group of those receiving bereavement support. Dr Emily said:

“After Grace died, we continued to support the family when they returned home. Grace had two siblings, Josh (who was 19yrs old at the time) and Imogen (who was 15 yrs old). Josh was at university at the time of his sister’s death, and we wrote to his tutors asking for their understanding and their help in supporting him to catch up.”

Chris hiking up a mountain in the snow

Our care

At Helen & Douglas House, we are here for families from diagnosis, through treatment, and beyond. While Grace’s story is just one of many, we strive to make every child’s journey as comfortable and fulfilling as possible. Whether it’s symptom management, emotional support, or simply creating joyful memories, we do everything we can to ensure that children with cancer live their lives to the fullest.

On this World Cancer Day, we honour all the children and families who face this journey. We remain committed to providing the love, care, and dignity that every child deserves.

Supporting local terminally ill children

Every donation, big or small, helps us provide vital support to more children facing a cancer diagnosis.

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