“As magical Christmas is, it’s business as usual, where other places will be closed for the festive period, our doors are always open, the phone gets answered, and we are here for people if they need us.”
“Last year, we had a family in whose child was end of life. We didn’t know how long he’d got. It was a week before Christmas as he had deteriorated, and the care team didn’t think he’d make it to Christmas Day. I was asked to be Santa Claus at short notice. We trimmed up the conservatory into a grotto and got lots of presents. I put the suit on and played Santa. It was tough, we tried to make it as special as possible, there was music playing, we read a book and there were pictures taken for the family.
I felt a sense of pride doing it, but you can’t un-forget something like that, it will stay with me forever.
You can make physical things, cards, baubles, decorations, as keepsakes, but the memory making for the siblings and the families, particularly at Christmas is so important, because it may be the last time they will celebrate with their child.”
My Christmas wish is for every child to experience the magic of Christmas and Santa Claus, just like any other family.
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.
£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.
£30 could help to pay for a Christmas dinner with all the trimmings, for a family staying at Martin House to enjoy together.
£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.
