Newlife helps disabled and terminally ill children who are in crisis every single day, and during the COVID-19 pandemic, these children and their families need our support more than ever.
Disabled children are most at risk from the effects of COVID-19, and with your support, we can act. Due to COVID-19 Newlife Stores close with every tier change and lockdown as non-essential retail operation and to protect both staff and the public, and with many of our fundraising activities cancelled
Why do we need your help? Because there is a statutory duty to provide the sort of equipment does, we are unable to apply to Children In Need or Comic Relief, or other aids mentioned by the chancellor for funding. But in reality, families turn to Newlife every day in desperation because of the continued delays and cuts to those statutory services, whether that be because of red tape or poor planning.
Where would the children we have already helped be without us? We are their lifeline. Now more than ever we need your help to provide much-needed support.
You could continue to give the ability to children who need it the most, possibly by donating the cost of your daily commute or the money you might otherwise budget for petrol, coffee, lunch or even your currently frozen gym membership.
All of our free services are still running and delivering including our Equipment Grants and Emergency Equipment loan service which provides equipment to keep children safe, free them from pain and allow them to leave the hospital and go home. Our dedicated team of nurses are manning our helpline to give families the important confidential support service they need, children like:
Rosie Harris from Essex
Rosie is just one of three people in the world diagnosed with a condition called Kilquist syndrome which has caused her intestinal and breathing difficulties so severe she has already endured two surgeries, was on a ventilator for five days at just three weeks old and has even needed CPR from her parents.
Now more stable, Rosie still needs to have a nebuliser every two hours as well as suctioning as she can’t remove her own secretions, and is fed continuously through a tube, but without a specialist cot at home to keep her at the right angle to help her breathe while she sleeps she couldn’t leave hospital.
Mum Charlotte said: “Rosie was in isolation in Basildon hospital due to her condition putting her at such high risk if she caught COVID-19, which was quite a worry. She’s actually safer at home, but they wouldn’t release us unless we had a specialist cot.
“Now Rosie and I are self-isolating with her dad Conor and Rosie is getting to know her three-year-old sister Gracie, for the first time properly as she wasn’t able to visit her in isolation. We are finally enjoying time together as a family and the emergency loan cot from Newlife is doing exactly what it should – helping Rosie’s breathing and keeping her in a safe position.”
But we can’t do it without your increased support. Donations you make will go directly towards providing much needed specialist equipment grants, emergency equipment loans and our nurse services at this critical time.
Poppy Kettleborough from Lancashire
Newlife the Charity for Disabled Children has appealed to the local community to help fund the £1,785 seat for Poppy Kettleborough, from Great Harwood, and to help other families who are currently in desperate need of specialist equipment and support for disabled children.
Unable to walk, talk or sit up, Poppy has Cerebral Palsy and can only support her own head for a few moments at a time. She also has breathing difficulties and reflux, so she and her mum are unable to leave their Lancashire home until the pandemic is over, which means Poppy has nowhere safe and comfortable to sit for the foreseeable future.
She has completely grown out of the comfortable chair she was previously using which kept her in just the right position to help her breathing and supports her head. She urgently needs a seat that is moulded to her shape to fully support her posture.
We will continue to help vulnerable children and their families during these uncertain times.
While many things have halted across the UK, what has not stopped is the needs of these children and it is vital that we find additional support for those vulnerable children who are at high risk.
Nurse Support For Families
The helpline is continuing to operate through the pandemic and our experienced nurses are hearing from families every day who need support at this critical time.
Newlife’s Consultant Nurse Karen Dobson said: “Many of the disabled children who need our help are at most risk of the effects of COVID-19. Whether it’s because they have an underlying health condition or because they cannot access already stretched essential health and social care services, it’s vital that they get the equipment and support they need to keep them safe – they need our help now more than ever.
“All of our free services are still running and delivering – as well as our helpline, we are continuing to provide equipment grants and emergency equipment loans to keep children safe, or meet their medical needs. A lot of hospitals are currently trying to discharge children because they will be safer at home, but you can’t discharge a child without the equipment they will need.
“Newlife exists because, if it was your child you would want the best for them. Our appeal means everyone is being given the chance to change a vulnerable child’s life for the better.”
Newlife’s helpline offers information on rare and complex health conditions, rights and benefits and emotional care and support. It also provides information on local health and social care professionals and statutory/charitable services.
To ensure it can continue to meet demand from families during the pandemic and give them someone to turn to, please donate to our appeal.
We will continue to help vulnerable children and their families during these uncertain times.
While many things have halted across the UK, what has not stopped is the needs of these children and it is vital that we find additional support for those vulnerable children who are at high risk.
We are proud to guarantee that 100% of all funds raised are spent on the needs of disabled and terminally ill children and Nurse support. Not a penny is spent on anything else.
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