Dear Doctor

Dear Medical Professional, You will ask about his medical history, And I will repeat the story I have told 100 times or more, The details fine tuned to the essentials I know you need: He was born full term, He has a 7 year old brother who is fit and well, He is allergic to penicillin.  You will ask me what happened, And I will answer: He is 6 years old. He wasn't breathing for 7 minutes. I gave him mouth to mouth. I will hand over a careful typed piece of A4 paper. It will tell you his hospital number, The things he is allergic to, A list of medications and doses. You will take it and smile. You'll tell me I make your job easier. I will stand calm, And in control.  You see my demeanour, my hospital bags packed and ready, And you say, You've done this before. I'll nod and say many times. But remember this; That 6 year old is my baby. That boy with the oxygen, And the wires, And the tubes, Is my son. I watched him turn bl
0

A Special Holiday - Making Every Moment Count


It was our first family holiday after a time when we thought we'd never have a holiday again. 

In fact it was our first family holiday shortly after a time when we thought we'd never be happy again. 

It took some persuading to make us go.

We were scared, really scared. 

We'd been told our son would die in childhood. At one point he wasn't expected to make his second birthday. 

And when things started to get better we were too scared to believe it lest the walls came crashing back down.

We'd been living on a knife edge for so long.

We recognised the overwhelming need to make happy family memories but were terrified of the consequences of our ‘risky’ actions. We were torn between wanting to make every moment count and the fear of something catastrophic happening while we were away from home. 

But our wonderful palliative care nurse coaxed and persuaded. The charity React provided us with a lovely little caravan by the sea. We went prepared with notes and documents and back up plans; details of local hospitals and ambulance response times, a car packed with life saving medicine and medical equipment. 

That holiday was magical; a week in Wales by the sea.  The sun shone every day; there wasn’t a single cloud in the sky.

We laughed, we played, we relaxed, we had fun.

We made memories we can cherish forever.

#momentscount






***** ***** *****


This post has been written to mark Children’s Hospice Week (11-17th May) in conjunctions with the charity Together for Short Lives.  This year’s theme is about ‘Making Every Moment Count’ focusing on how precious time is for families by capturing moments in time.

Facts about hospice care & life limited children:
·         Most children need round the clock care – 24 hours a day, seven days a week
·         Families need support so they can make the most of every moment together
·         There are 53 children’s hospice services in the UK providing a lifeline for families
·         Children’s hospices are bright and happy places focussing on helping families make the most of every moment
·         Children’s hospices are all charities that rely on public support

Our local hospice has been a huge source of support for us.  You can find out more about Acorns and the work they do here: Acorns Children's Hospice.

Get involved:
You too can take part. A social media campaign will run throughout the week encouraging people to share the moments that matter to them by posting pictures, videos and comments on Twitter and Facebook, using #momentscount. Your moment could be a wedding, a celebration, a party, with friends and family or a career highlight... anything that captures a moment in your life that you would like to share.

So come on – share some of your precious moments using #momentscount too.




Comments

Post a Comment

Thanks for taking the time to read and comment.