Stevenson House saved us.

(Christopher on the beach post operation)

When we discovered that our young son Christopher would need an operation to remove his eye due to retinoblastoma, we were very concerned about finding somewhere to stay near to the Royal Children’s London Hospital. The operation was scheduled very early in the morning making it highly impractical for us to travel to London on public transport all the way from Epsom with a sick and understandably uneasy child.

However the hospital directed us toward The Sick Children’s Trust’s Stevenson House, right next-door to the hospital. This allowed us stay together as a family the night before Christopher’s operation, removing the added stress of travel arrangements on this already worrying day. Having a safe, comfortable and friendly place where we could cook meals and have a bath was a godsend. It also really helped us settling Christopher the night before his operation.

Christopher absolutely loved the house; he could play quietly and watch TV away from the busy hospital environment. The staff members in the ‘Home from Home’ were so welcoming and were fantastic with Christopher and while he refused to eat in the hospital he was happy to eat at the home as it felt like a normal environment. The staff’s little touches like providing him with a ‘Finding Nemo’ soft toy helped distract Christopher from the nature of his trip. The house manager was fantastic and very approachable she always found time to talk with us and was a big hit with Christopher.

It was also really beneficial for us as parents to spend time with other families staying in the house. We had dinner with those who understood the anxiety of having a sick child and as a group we shared our experiences, helping to lessen the isolation and fear we felt during this stressful time. Staying at the house was incredibly helpful as the ward had no facilities for family members whatsoever; having somewhere that we could take turns to wash and rest made the entire experience far more comfortable.

Christopher is now a happy, healthy six year old. We have stayed at Stevenson House on a number of subsequent occasions when Christopher has needed checkups and it is always a pleasant experience. We feel such gratitude towards The Sick Children’s Trust for providing this help when we were at our most vulnerable and frequently donate toys and money in the hope that more families can access this much needed support.

Victoria Payne, Christopher’s Mum

Our Three Peaks adventure by Rob Clark, The Sick Children's Trust Corporate Fundraiser

Friday 16 September

9am: I am standing in a bus depot in Northampton thinking what have I let myself in for? I am about to help drive a 17 seat minibus for the very first time, filled with a team of volunteers from Barclays, over 1200 miles to complete the 24hr Three Peaks challenge.

10am: Everyone's on board , the Sat Nav is working, we've only gone 100 yards and my co-driver Craig tells me I've just driven past our very first right turn! This is going to be a very long 1,200 miles.

4-5pm: The drive is going well, the M6 just seems to be endless but everyone is in high spirits. The views, as we drive through Northern England and into Scotland are stunning with rolling hillsides, sharp escarpments and lochs that stretch out as far as the eye can see.

8pm: We finally arrive in Glen Coe in bonnie Scotland. Driving through Glasgow, in a minibus during rush hour, was an experience as were some of the long and winding roads that hug Loch Lomond. However Craig and I made the time just slip away (the others mentioned the word purgatory!!) with our karaoke stylings of Tom Jones, The Proclaimers and Chaz n' Dave's greatest hits.

Saturday 17 Septeber

5.30am: Craig and I (now known as Mum and Dad) are up with the lark cooking a Full English breakfast (or would that now be called a full Scottish) for everyone in the team and we even did the washing up!! Owning our own Café is surely just a matter of time.

7.30am: Our intrepid Barclays mountaineering team of Gemma, Ian (team Leader), Karen, Ian, Anj, Howard, Lydia, Andrew, Amie, Clare and Derek are assembled at the foot of Ben Nevis. It's raining but what's new and after a quick photo shoot and a safety chat from Ian, off they go to take on the UK's highest peak.

4pm: After one hell of a climb they are all back down and in one piece. The summit was shrouded in cloud but when the weather broke, on their way down, they had some fantastic views of the Scottish countryside from over 3,500 feet up. Mum and Dad had been shopping so we had lots of goodies for our weary climbers to eat and drink. Craig whipped up his signature dish of Pasta with creme fraiche and peas and I was in charge of buttering the rolls.

5.30pm: Back in the van, I once again decided to take a slightly different route to the one offered by our Sat Nav as I drove into a local hotel car park. Although it was a quieter it was not the most direct route back onto the motorway and the well disguised speed bump did my driving credentials no favours either. With no damage done to either bus or passengers we continued on but I'm sure we didn't have a sun roof where Clare was sitting before we started!!

For safety reasons it was decided by Ian and the group to miss Scarfell Pike and go straight onto Snowden. Disappointing for some but safety had to be the maintained at all times. So, cue Tom Jones on the CD player and we were off again for a fun packed nine hour drive to Wales. 10 minutes into the journey and everyone, apart from me and Craig of course, were fast asleep! Our route is being accompanied by torrential rain and strong winds but as if by magic for our sleeping beauties in the back we arrive safe and sound at Pen-y-pass at the foothills of Mount Snowden.

Sunday 18 September

3am: With the rain still lashing down, Ian, our mountain guide has another chat to our climbers with strict instructions to ensure their safety on the mountain. Whatever I say about this group from Barclays is not enough because they were superb throughout the whole trip. Cheerful, determined and a pleasure to be with in challenging conditions. Unfortunately injury and coldness to some of the members of the team meant they didn’t reach the summit but their commitment to this venture and towards our charity is first class.

1pm: We arrive back in Milton Keynes, we all hug and say our goodbyes. I feel this shared experienced has enabled us to get to know each other better and our partnership with Barclays is going from strength to strength. The minibus driving went well too with Craig and I taking it in turns to sleep whilst the other was at the wheel. In the end our Three Peaks team has managed to raise over £3,500 and with Barclays matched funding scheme, that amount will increase to £6,500 which is a brilliant effort and will benefit our charity and the families we help enormously.

Thank you to Gemma, Ian (team Leader), Karen, Ian, Anj, Howard, Lydia , Andrew, Amie, Clare, Derek and of course my co-driving buddy Craig.

Our stay at Eckersley House

My husband and I stayed at Eckersley House from January 2011 for nearly three months as our son Josh, who is two years old, has a congenital heart defect, which the doctor has described as unique and complicated.

We found out about The Sick Children’s Trust through the Children’s Heart Surgery Ward at the Leeds General Infirmary when Josh was admitted to the cardiac unit and they have been a massive help not only practically but emotional too during this time.

Living in Pontefract, Eckersley House has helped us financially as we have not had to pay for petrol or a hotel; it really has removed some stress. It has been so important to be across from the ward, having nearly lost Josh five times during his treatments, it is absolutely critical that we are here. I couldn’t even imagine not been able to hold his hand when he needed me at any point day or night, and thanks to The Sick Children’s Trust I didn’t have to endure that.

Being at Eckersley House has helped give the family a sense of normality. Josh’s older siblings have come over to stay and we have all sat down together around the table and eaten a home cooked meal. Josh has actually eaten more at Eckersley House than the hospital as he doesn’t like the food off the trolley, so it’s been an important part of his recovery – keeping his strength up.

My husband Tony and I have also found respite at the house. It allows us to spend some quality time together and take stock of the situation, away from the wards, which given the stressful nature of our circumstances, don’t really help you to think straight.

We have met some lovely friends through staying at Eckersley House and it’s been such a comfort knowing others are going through similar situations. Jane and the team at the house have been so fantastic, helping us feel settled and have become our friends and allow us to interact in an otherwise unfamiliar environment.

Josh now has outpatient appointments and is in palliative care so we will still be staying at Eckersley House when necessary. We are so grateful to The Sick Children’s Trust for providing a great service in our time of need.

Jo Smith, Josh’s mum