I was fortunate enough to use the accommodation at Guilford Street when my second daughter, Juliana, was born with complications. She required surgery to correct her organs, but first we had to wait for her to put on enough weight so that she would be strong enough to survive the ordeal.
Staff on the ward where she was being treated at Great Ormond Street Hospital recommended The Sick Children’s Trust’s Guilford Street house when I voiced my concerns over having to be away from my other daughter, Lemi, and my husband, Moses who were back in our home town of Leicester. Thankfully there was a family room going spare at the ‘Home from Home’ which meant my family and I could stay together. We stayed there for nearly two months.
Staying in the house made things so much easier for my family, during what was an incredibly stressful time. It provided a comfortable, secure environment with all the facilities you would expect from a home. We were able to cook, wash and iron – something I never thought I’d take for granted.
My elder daughter, Lemi, who is just four years old stayed with us in the house too. She really enjoyed our time there and spent hours playing with the toys in the playroom and meeting other children. The interior of the house is designed in such a way it really does feel like a home and not just a place to lay your head. This is particularly important when you have children come to stay with you as you want to make sure that they feel as comfortable as possible and with the children’s breakfast bar and piles of toys, Guilford Street is a wonderful place for them to be.
We were also very lucky since, as Juliana got stronger, she was allowed to come off the ward and stayed with us at the house. Tina, the house manager, provided us with a cot and it was just so lovely for us all to have somewhere to spend time together as a family, away from the hospital environment. This was particularly important for me, as I felt as a new mum that I needed to bond with her and by having her around me and the rest of my family, this was so much easier, as I wasn’t as stressed.
When this didn’t happen, the phone in the room also helped to put my mind at ease. And although the ward never had to call me, I occasionally used to call them to check on Juliana’s progress. It’s such a wonderfully reassuring feeling to know that you have a direct line to your child when you can’t physically be there beside them.
It was also nice to be with other families who were all going through the same experience. Being able to chat with each other lessened that feeling of being alone and provided an additional support network. My husband had to carry on working most of the time Juliana was in hospital and came to visit as much as he could, but it was always good to be able to sit down with other people when he wasn’t able to be there, and share your problems.
The house manager, Tina, was very helpful. She is a very caring woman who helped me get through the most difficult time of my life. She was always smiling and stopping for a chat which gives you the opportunity to offload your day on to her. She was also very good with my Lemi and Juliana. My daughter loved popping into the office say hello to her.
Having somewhere to stay like Guilford Street meant the world to me; Juliana was in hospital for three months and I know I wouldn’t have been able to cope if I had to stay on the ward all the time. So having somewhere private helped a lot, both emotionally and physically.
Although Juliana had to go in for more surgery in March, she is starting to do much better and she is learning to stand and say a few words. I am confident that in the future she will make a full recovery and I have no doubt that is partly due to the love and support we were able to give her when she was born, being close to her thanks to The Sick Children’s Trust.
Frida Kusamba, Juliana’s mum.
