Children friendly area

What is a Hospice ?

At some time in your life you will have been ill, it happens to everyone. Some illnesses get better on their own, some need medicine from a doctor and some need the patient to go into hospital for treatment or an operation.

However, a small number of children have illnesses that even the most skilled doctors cannot cure. Some of these children are born with their illness, others develop the illness at some time in their life. These children might need the special care that a hospice can provide.

To help you to understand how a children’s hospice works, think about two words that come from the same root. The first word is hospital, a place where patients are looked after and given medical care by doctors and nurses. The second word is hospitality which means being made welcome and shown kindness. A children’s hospice is a mixture of both of these things; a place where a child can feel comfortable and secure as well as having care from trained medical staff.

A children’s hospice has bedrooms where a child can stay as well as playrooms, art rooms, music rooms, gardens and quiet areas. Some children stay in the hospice while their parents have a break – caring for a poorly child is hard work. At other times a child might bring the family along too and there are rooms where parents, brothers and sisters can stay.

It costs a lot of money to build and run a children’s hospice although the care it provides is given for free to the children who need it. The money comes from events organised by the Fund-Raising team and from donations from people who want to help. Look at the Fundraising section of the website to find out more.