Milo was just a few months old at the time of the surgery and finding somewhere to stay was the last thing on our minds..

In April 2011, our son Milo had to undergo surgery to have a cranioplasty fitted to bridge a gap in his skull which was caused by an accident when he was just two weeks old. Milo was just a few months old at the time of the surgery and finding somewhere to stay was the last thing on our minds. Thankfully when myself and my partner, Daniel arrived at Sheffield Children’s Hospital, which was about 20 miles from our home in Chesterfield, Derbyshire we were told by a nurse about The Sick Children’s Trust, a charity which provides free accommodation to families of sick children being treated in hospital. Unfortunately, at the time we arrived the house was full and we had to sleep on the ward whilst we were put on the waiting list, but thankfully three days later we were given a room. We initially thought we’d be staying at The Sick Children’s Trust’s Treetop House for a week but unfortunately when he had the surgery Milo suffered from an infection and later had to have a shunt fitted due to a fluid build-up, which meant we ended up staying for five weeks in total. Being in Treetop House helped us immensely as it meant we could stay by Milo all of the time without having to go back to our home in Derbyshire. It enabled us to get some rest and be able to have a break from the ward from time to time, which was a vital opportunity to collect our thoughts and regroup. The journey home was an hour, so it was brilliant to be able to stay so close and not have to worry about travelling back and forth every day. It also meant that we could bring clothes, toiletries and everything we needed for day to day living to the hospital. After a few nights of sleeping on the ward without a proper shower or night’s sleep, you really can see the value of having such accommodation close at hand. It also meant we could buy our own food and cook it in the house as it has a great kitchen. Up until then we had been buying food at the hospital and local cafes and shops, which was very expensive. I genuinely believe that having us there helped Milo recover, because it meant that we were with him, or at least only ever five minutes away from him, at any time day or night. We even took Milo up to the house a few times during our stay. It was nice for us to have a bit of normality – being at ‘home’ with our son - and also for him it was a change of scenery. There was a good selection of toys, books, puzzles etc. for him to play with and a variety of films. During my time at the house I found consolation from talking to other parents who were in the same situation as me. You can feel very isolated and afraid when your child is in hospital, so knowing that other people were going through similar experiences was a help. Also the house staff themselves were brilliant. I got to know the staff quite well whilst I was staying there, they were very helpful and supportive. Since our first visit we have had to stay at the house three additional times, most recently in July this year, and I have to say that every time I walk through the doors I feel a sense of relief, knowing that should we need them again the charity will be there for us. Milo is now fit and well and our lives are just returning to normal; fingers crossed we won’t have to come back (not to stay anyway)! We were very grateful and lucky to have this service available to us in Sheffield. It was such a difficult time for us and having to go home every night would have been unthinkable. Kerry, Milo’s mum.