Emergency fund created to support children with short lives

FAMILIES caring for a seriously ill child dependent on vital equipment to stay alive can now receive much-needed aid from the UK charity for children’s palliative care, Together for Short Lives.         

The new ‘Cost of Living Support Fund’ launched this week, will help families across the UK currently struggling to pay soaring energy bills for necessary equipment that keeps their child alive.

An estimated 3,000 seriously ill children require long-term ventilation to stay alive, and around 6,000 are dependent on ‘assistive technology’.

Concerned families are facing significant debt to keep machines running and are now confronted with difficult choices between feeding their family or heating their home, let alone being able to celebrate a Christmas together that may be their last.

Together for Short Lives, the charity that supports UK families facing the heartbreak that their child will die young has launched the emergency Cost of Living Support Fund to provide financial help to families most in need.

The new fund has been given a momentous start thanks to a generous contribution of £100,000 from Morrisons’ partnership fundraising. Families will be offered a grant of £250 to help with spiralling energy costs, meaning they can focus on making lasting memories with their child this Christmas.

Families like 11-year-old Isabel’s who has Batten disease and is bed-bound rely on a range of equipment to keep her comfortable and alive, which includes high-flow oxygen therapy and suction to prevent her from choking.

Isabel’s mum Sophie said:

“We are running a mini-intensive care unit in our home.

“Isabel requires regular suction day and night to stop her from choking and to help her breathe. She isn’t able to control her own temperature so the heating in the house must run constantly to keep her temperature at a safe level.”

Sophie must run extra washing machine cycles due to Isabel’s incontinence and the family has a special hydrotherapy tub to help bring some ease to Isabel’s painful muscles.

“We can no longer meet the rising costs of running all this. It means that Isabel will no longer be getting the relief she needs.

“Every part of Isabel’s life relies on the use of machinery, which obviously runs on electricity. Our bills are skyrocketing, and we can’t manage for much longer. It’s terrifying and it just feels out of control. The reality is that Isabel will only live for a few months, or a year or two more if we are really lucky. And what will we be left with? Overwhelming grief and debt.”

The initial donation from Morrisons will allow Together for Short Lives to support 400 families caring for a seriously ill child. However, there are many more families struggling with the soaring cost of living who have nowhere to turn.

The charity is now appealing to anyone who can, to support the Cost of Living Support Fund so that more families can spend precious time together this festive season without the increasing worry of how to pay their bills.

To donate please visit: www.togetherforshortlives.org.uk/emergency-fund.

Together for Short Lives is also urgently urging the UK Government to go further by:

The charity asked MPs to stand up for seriously ill children and their families by attending a key All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for Children Who Need Palliative Care event at Westminster.

Time is short for these families, and they don’t have time to waste. Ministers must act now so that families can make the most of every moment they have together.

Andy Fletcher, chief executive at Together for Short Lives commented:

“It’s such a stressful time for everyone right now with the cost of living crisis, but families who are caring for a child reliant on electrical equipment to stay alive are having to make very difficult choices. Some parents are missing out on meals to keep vital machines running, or not heating their homes. Many will be thinking about how they can afford to buy Christmas presents this year.

“That’s why we’re launching our Cost of Living Support Fund to help with spiralling costs, thanks to the initial donation from Morrisons. We are asking the public – if they are able – to donate to this appeal so that we can help as many families as possible caring for a seriously ill child make the most of every moment they have together this festive season.”

By donating to Together for Short Lives’ Cost of Living Support Fund Appeal people can help families who are struggling to make ends meet this festive season, for more information please visit: www.togetherforshortlives.org.uk/emergency-fund.

The public can also help by writing to their MP, asking them to work with the UK Government to put in place the support these families need for the long-term www.togetherforshortlives.org.uk/energy-action-now.

Families that care for a child that depends on assistive technology to stay alive, can call the helpline for more information on 0808 8088 100 Mon-Fri 9am-4pm.