tandem skydive in aid of Chestnut Tree House Children's Hospice
Written by: Melanie Peters
On 2nd May Helen Pengelley will be doing a tandem skydive in aid of Chestnut Tree House Children's Hospice. I am very lucky that I have 3 healthy boys but just imagine what it would be like to nurse your child for 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, perhaps while having to look after other young children at the same time. Imagine having to come to terms with the fact that your child will die before you do and to live with the knowledge that your other children may be affected too.
Chestnut Tree House is the only children's hospice in Sussex and cares for children and young adults from 0-19 years of age with progressive life-limiting and life-threatening illnesses from all over the county.
Completed in 2003, the hospice provides a 'home from home' environment with 10 children's bedrooms plus 8 family rooms, a wet and dry play area, computer and music rooms, a multi sensory room and hydrotherapy pool. The house is set in beautiful gardens within an area of outstanding natural beauty.
There are potentially 400 families with life-limited children in Sussex. Chestnut Tree House offers support for the whole family including psychological support, care in bereavement therapy, end of life and respite care and sibling support.
The hospice costs approximately £2 million per year to run. Families are not charged for their care and the hospice receives very little government funding so it relies almost entirely on the generosity, help and support of the people of Sussex.
Helen needs to raise a minimum of £395 for my skydive and in return Chestnut Tree House will receive an average donation of £140.
Donating through JustGiving is simple, fast and totally secure. Your details are safe with JustGiving – they’ll never sell them on or send unwanted emails. Once you donate, they’ll send your money directly to the charity and make sure Gift Aid is reclaimed on every eligible donation by a UK taxpayer. So it’s the most efficient way to donate - I raise more, whilst saving time and cutting costs for the charity.
So please dig deep and donate now www.justgiving.com/Helen-Pengelly
