Dear Editor, 

EVERY year, thousands of families face a terrifying crisis. A sudden diagnosis. A life-threatening condition. A desperate need to be close to their child, but nowhere to stay. 

The Sick Children’s Trust provides a calm, comforting space for families to be near their critically ill child during the most traumatic time of their lives. A warm bed, a place to cook, and somewhere to rest – all free of charge, just minutes from the hospital. 

It costs The Sick Children’s Trust £40 a night to support one family in one of our ten ‘Homes from Home’, and we rely entirely on donations. The reality is that costs are rising, and demand for our homes is growing. That’s why I’m asking your readers to become a Friend of The Sick Children’s Trust by giving £10 a month. Their monthly gift will keep another family together, when they need it most. 

The families we support travel an average of 86 minutes to be by their sick child’s bedside. One such family is that of Laura Makin, whose teenage daughter Keisha needed urgent treatment in Newcastle, over 200 miles from their North Wales home. Our Crawford House ‘Home from Home’ became their lifeline, keeping them close to Keisha during months of uncertainty and heartache. 

There is a full letter to editor from our Chief Executive, Jane Featherstone, below as well as a quote from mum Laura Makin about the difference our Crawford House ‘Home from Home’ made to her family during Keisha’s treatment so far away from home. There are also a picture and logo attached which you are free to use.