I am an ordinary gran like millions of others, but my grandson has a chronic illness which requires very specialised treatment at The Great North Children’s Hospital in Newcastle upon Tyne.
My family live in Worcestershire, over 250 miles from Newcastle, so when George requires treatment we cannot just pop back home every evening. This is why Crawford House and The Sick Children’s Trust have become so important to myself and my family. They enable us to stay together as a family to support my grandson and his mother in Newcastle on the hospital site when George needs treatment.
My story started when my grandson George was born, a beautiful baby boy, but before he was four weeks old he had been in two local hospitals, diagnosed with Severe Combined Immune Deficiency (SCID), and transferred by ambulance all the way from Birmingham Children’s Hospital to Newcastle General Hospital for specialised treatment.
George required a bone Marrow transplant, so I took compassionate leave from work and travelled to Newcastle to support my daughter Vic, George and our 18 month old granddaughter Addie, George’s big sister. It took six months of treatment at the hospital before George was well enough to return home.
That was when my relationship with Crawford House and The Sick Children’s Trust started. George’s condition is very complex, requiring regular visits to see his consultant, and many extended hospital stays as an inpatient. These have to take place at The Great North Children’s Hospital in Newcastle. As a mother with a toddler and a very ill baby, my daughter realised how important it was for her to keep the family together as a unit during George’s hospital treatment, and without the help of Crawford House this would not have been possible.
Now when George needs treatment we are so lucky to have the support of Crawford House. We stay there as a family; it becomes our home for weeks at a time. It is far, far, more than just a place to stay which is close to the hospital. The staff who run it are wonderful; they have become our friends, and the support they offer when we stay is invaluable. We cannot speak highly enough of Gail and all her team at Crawford House. When we are miles from home without the support system of extended family and friends they step in, and always go the extra mile to help. Without Crawford House our family would be separated for long periods. It enables Addie to stay with her Mom during George’s treatment, and allows me to support them all.
After a gruelling car journey of 5 hours on the motorways with George who, let’s remember, is feeling ill and needs treatment; Addie, an under-five year old, a stressed mother who is very worried about her son, and a tired and harassed gran, we arrive at Crawford House. As we put the key in the door there is an inaudible sigh of relief. We are safe, it is our ‘Home from Home’.
I cannot stress strongly enough how knowing we are able to stay in Crawford House helps us through the very difficult times. After long worrying days with George in hospital wards it is such a relief having a secure and familiar place to return to with friendly, helpful faces. Somewhere we can eat, sleep, play, relax and try to live as much of a normal family life as we can, before returning once again to the hospital routine.
My story of George, Gran and Crawford House is still being told….George’s condition is a long term one. We will be continuing to need the support of Crawford House for many years to come. So all I can say is a big “thank you” to The Sick Children’s Trust and Crawford House. The Sick Children’s Trust are a wonderful charity who help so many families through the most difficult times. If my story makes you realise how important Crawford House is in enabling families to stay together when a child is very ill in hospital, please dig deep and support them.
Deborah Ellis, George’s grandma.
