Give Seriously ill Children their Childhood Back

Dear friend,

When Abbie got ill, it really affected the whole family. Everything changed for everyone in our house.

We couldn’t have people coming in because they might bring in germs, which would be disastrous for Abbie while she was having chemo. That was hard for Abbie’s sisters Leila and Caitlin.

Leila and Caitlin were not allowed to have sleepovers like all their friends. It is just a little thing, I suppose, but it shows how Abbie’s illness has taken its toll on us all in lots of different ways.

But Barretstown made such a huge difference to all of us. When we first came to the family camp, we didn’t know what to expect. I suppose we were maybe a bit anxious about going – but that went out of the window after a couple of hours of being here. We had one of the best weekends we’ve had since Abbie got sick.

There’s just so much we took away from the weekend. It gave Abbie a whole new outlook and showed her that there are things worth looking forward to in life – things that aren’t hospital visits or chemo appointments.

In fact, you could say that Abbie’s stay at Barretstown has really transformed her life. Before her visit, she was so sad and fearful. But now she’s got so much of her energy and enthusiasm back. It’s such a lovely thing to see.

I really think it’s helping her to face the future with more energy and confidence – and that’s got to make it easier for her to get better.

Thank you so much for the support you have given Barretstown, I know from experience just how much of a difference it makes.

Yours truly,

Andrea

(Camper Mum)