Dr Michelle's Christmas memories

Michelle Hills is a Consultant in Paediatric Palliative Medicine at Martin House and Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, Chief Medical Officer of Martin House Children’s Hospice and sits on the Leeds Clinical Ethics Committee. She is also Chair of the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health Paediatric Palliative Medicine Specialist Advisory Committee.

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"This service only runs because of the generosity of others, and it is such a valuable service that we offer to these children and families, and Christmas is a particularly difficult time, for so many."

"I remember a family, where we thought the child would die before Christmas, and the family came to the hospice, just before Christmas, and we managed to get the symptoms so well controlled, that he was awake and alert for Christmas Day. And the family had a final Christmas together, they had a Christmas dinner, they made some really beautiful memories, and that’s something that will stay with me always. 

We offer our specialist palliative care services, every, single day of the year, so that includes Christmas. We want to be there if children and families need us, if they have symptoms that are difficult to control, or if they’re at end of life. They know that there is someone to phone, and if necessary, they could be in the hospice itself getting the care that they need. 

We aren’t able to grant some of the families wishes, but what we able to do, and what we are determined to do, is to help create precious memories for these families to keep forever."

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My Christmas wish is that no child needed us at all, but the reality is, so many children and so many families do, so I hope that we can make Christmas the best time it can be, for all of these children.

With your support, we can make every Christmas count

Please help us to raise vital funds this Christmas, so that we can help families to make and treasure such special memories of every precious Christmas they have with their child.

Donate £10

£10 could help to keep our phone lines running, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. So, that families can call us anytime they need us.

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Donate £30

£30 could help to pay for a Christmas dinner with all the trimmings, for a family staying at Martin House to enjoy together.

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Donate £50

£50 could help bring the magic to our family Christmas party, helping to fund those extra little touches and activities that make it so special.

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