My story begins at the end of May 2012...

My story begins at the end of May 2012 when my daughter Victoria complained about a pain in her arm. I looked at her arm to discover a lump at the top just below her shoulder and immediately packed her off to accident and emergency in Scarborough. We waited for what seemed like ages to be seen by a doctor who ordered an x-ray. Vicky had the x-ray done and we once again waited. At the time I didn’t think too much other than that she had probably injured herself somehow. The doctor called us in and said he was a bit concerned and that we would have to see a specialist, but in another area and some distance away from home. One week later we got a phone call from Birmingham Royal Orthopaedic Hospital with an appointment early the following week. They also stated she would have to have a biopsy done. Alarm bells were now starting to ring and I remember saying to my partner, Janet, that I thought it was a tumour. We packed ourselves off to the hospital at Birmingham and Vicky had her biopsy done. I was okay until on the second day the Macmillan nurse visited us and more or less confirmed my worst fears, that they were almost 100% positive that my daughter had bone cancer. I went through so many emotions; fear, anger, sadness… I even began blaming myself, but I was told this was quite normal in these circumstances. The results returned and did in fact confirm she had osteosarcoma (bone cancer). The appointment for Leeds General Infirmary arrived very fast, and we attended to be told that my daughter would need a very long course of chemotherapy and an operation back at Birmingham to remove the tumour. My first thought was how were we going to manage this with living 60+ miles away from the hospital, since we could not afford to travel back and forth. Then I was told about Eckersley House which was run by The Sick Children’s Trust, and how they provided a ‘Home from Home’ for parents like me. When we arrived at the hospital I enquired about Eckersley House and was shown where the accommodation was. I rang the doorbell and was immediately greeted by a member of staff who had the most wonderful smile on her face and immediately made me feel at home. She said the house was full, but if a room became available she would get in touch with the ward. A few hours later I got a message to return to the house as a room had become available. I was welcomed and shown around the house, which is truly a ‘Home from Home’ and has everything you could ever wish for. We are still going through the treatment six months later and I am still staying at Eckersley House. So this is my story; similar to many of the other families that stay here. I have met some wonderful families during my stay and also some wonderful staff who continue to put up with my sad days as well as my good days and are always there to help me through bad times. I thank the charity from the bottom of my heart. Without their help and support my family and I would be totally lost. The accommodation is a godsend to us; it means my partner can stay and I don’t have to go through this on my own. The staff are fantastic, always there for me if I need a shoulder to cry on and without them I would not find this distressing journey quite as bearable. They take a bit of the worry away because I know I can be close to my daughter if she needs me. Steven Waters, Vicky’s dad.

Our son's fight for his life...

In 2008, if it wasn’t for The Sick Children’s Trust’s and their ‘Home from Home’ Eckersley House, we wouldn’t have been able to stay with our son throughout his fight for life. Robbie, our little miracle, was born more than three months early, weighing just 2lbs and 7ozs, very suddenly at home in our bathroom. We called the ambulance service who arrived very quickly and took Robbie and me to Scarborough Hospital. My very shocked husband, Anthony, met us at the hospital and once Robbie had been stabilised and put on a life support machine we were rushed to St James’ Hospital in Leeds. This is where I was introduced to The Sick Children’s Trust’s Eckersley House who at this time had a ‘Home from Home’ there which provided free accommodation to families of sick children. The house has since been relocated to provide support to families of children from the Leeds General Infirmary The staff at the house were fantastic and the fact that they could offer us a room on the hospital site was invaluable and gave us the ability to stay with our very poorly little boy. After a three and a half month stay in hospital with many ups and downs including a nerve wrecking surgical procedure, Robbie finally came home, still weighing less than 5lbs. As a family we will always be indebted to all the people and services who helped get our little boy where he is today. Robbie is a happy, healthy four year old who lights up our lives every minute of every day. The Sick Children’s Trust played a massive part in our story, allowing us to be close to Robbie and provide support and comfort at both him, and each other at a critical time. Denise, Robbie’s mum