SISTERS KEPT TOGETHER DURING TUMOUR TREATMENT RAISE AWARENESS FOR CHARITY IN NEED OF SUPPORT
Tuesday 26 May, 2020A Norfolk woman who was always able to stay by her sister’s side during her surgery to remove a tumour is sharing their story to help raise emergency funds for The Sick Children’s Trust, the charity that gave her a place to stay just minutes from the hospital.
Lauren Williams was hit with the devastating news last year that her sister Rosie, 16, had an ovarian tumour. The family were thrown into a whirlwind as Rosie needed a six-hour surgery at Addenbrooke’s Hospital, Cambridge, over an hour’s drive from their home in Kings Lynn.
Rosie had her right ovary and fallopian tube removed and due to the nature of the procedure, and at such a young age, she was kept on the Paediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) at Addenbrooke’s Hospital for six days. During this traumatic ordeal Rosie always had her best friend and sister, Lauren, close by as her family were given a place to stay at Acorn House, a ‘Home from Home’ ran by The Sick Children’s Trust.
Rosie’s family are one of thousands kept together every year by the charity when a loved one is in hospital far away from home. During these unprecedented and uncertain times, the charity, which receives no government funding, needs the public’s support now more than ever. It costs £2.2 million to run The Sick Children’s Trust’s ten ‘Homes from Home’ across the country and the charity relies entirely on voluntary donations to meet this cost. With events being cancelled and the charity’s valued supporters not being able to fundraise in their usual way, The Sick Children’s Trust needs your support now more than ever. Lauren, who was supported by The Sick Children’s Trust along with her dad, said:
“When Rosie was diagnosed with an ovarian tumour it was the most destroying news I’ve ever received. Things moved fast once the diagnosis came in and while Rosie was in surgery we were assessing all of the options available so that we could stay close to the hospital. That was when we were told about The Sick Children’s Trust and Acorn House.
“As soon as we were told about Acorn House our moods lifted. Being on the ward isn’t the most private place to deal with awful news. There’s no personal space to process it. As well as being a place to stay near to Rosie it offered us a place to relax and learn how to deal with all the information we were receiving.
“Without Acorn House we would’ve had to pay a fortune for a hotel, parking at the hospital or had the stress of commuting daily from Kings Lynn which is an hour and a half’s drive away. That would have meant leaving her on her own during those extra hours that we’d spend travelling to and from the hospital. Thankfully this worry was taken away by The Sick Children’s Trust.”
Since her operation, Rosie is doing really well. She added: “Having my sister with me was the biggest positive as we’ve always been so close so I have no idea what I would’ve done without her. Acorn House was genuinely the best thing and I couldn’t be more grateful for the support they gave my family.”
The Sick Children’s Trust supports around 3,500 families every year by giving families a place to stay. Jane Featherstone, Chief Executive at The Sick Children’s Trust, said:
“It is a worrying and uncertain time for everyone and there are many challenges we are all facing but for families with a seriously ill child in hospital there is even more worry and uncertainty.
“The Sick Children’s Trust can continue to be there for families with sick children in hospital like Rosie’s, but we can’t do it alone. Without vital donations we cannot do this. With your kind donation, we can be there so that families can be together. We want to give them a safe place to stay close to their child. £30 is what it takes but any amount you can give will greatly help.”
To donate to The Sick Children’s Trust, visit sickchildrenstrust.org/donate
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