Chelsey’s story

When my fifteen year old daughter Chelsey was rushed into hospital with chronic Crohn’s disease I felt completed distraught. After eight days at Lewisham Hospital, Chelsey’s condition was not improving and she had to be transferred to The Royal London Children’s Hospital in Whitechapel. My husband and I travelled through rush hour traffic every morning to visit Chelsey making the whole experience increasingly stressful and tiring. Alongside the frustrating and energy sapping commute, we found it heartbreaking when, every evening, we had to leave our daughter’s bedside knowing that we couldn’t be close to Chelsey at night.

Fortunately one of the nurses on Chelsey’s ward, perhaps noting our distress, recommended that we enquired if rooms were available at Stevenson House, free accommodation next door to The Royal London Hospital provided by The Sick Children’s Trust. I was unsure as to what to expect but welcomed the opportunity to stay close to my daughter. When I arrived at Stevenson House I was completely shocked; the house was both spacious and comfortable and boasted a large kitchen and communal area. I immediately felt at home and couldn’t have been more impressed by the management team whose friendly welcome and continual support throughout my stay improved my moral dramatically.

I was given a room with a double bed and a pull out single bed which allowed my husband and Callum, my seven year old son, to stay with me at Stevenson at the weekends. This provided the family not only with the chance to visit Chelsey but also quality family time and a sense of normality amidst the turmoil. Callum absolutely loved the house as he was able to play with the large selection of toys and the children of other families staying there. Speaking with other families was a really beneficial experience; we were all united by our unfortunate circumstance and raised each others spirits. Having this support structure and the close contact with my family was absolutely vital as Chelsey’s condition continually worsened. Her weight had plummeted to under six stone and she needed a potentially life saving operation to remove part of her small intestine.

To our relief the operation was successful and during her recovery Chelsey was able to visit Stevenson House herself to enjoy lunches and dinners with the family. She was so impressed with our ‘Home from Home’ and seemed glad that it was there that we had been staying during her difficult ordeal. Chelsey has now recovered well, has put on weight and is back at school like a normal fifteen year old. I honestly cannot thank The Sick Children’s Trust enough for the support that they gave our family during our darkest period and only hope that more families can take advantage of this wonderful charity during their time of need.

Sharon Bennett, Chelsey’s Mum