Supporting Julia’s House This Christmas
23rd Nov 2023Posted by Alice Ewens on 23rd Nov 2023
Furniturebox is glad to be supporting Julia's House, a Wiltshire-based children's hospice, with its Christmas campaign in 2023.
The festive season is usually one of joy and excitement but for parents of children with life-limiting or life-threatening conditions, it can be a time of stress and even grief. Julia's House, a local South-West charity, provides vital support to families in these challenging situations, from at-home help to hospice-based facilities in Wiltshire and Dorset and out in the community. Their service is totally flexible and bespoke for their families – it is also completely free. They rely on donations to fund this service. We're sharing their Christmas Campaign to help one little girl's family dreams of a last Christmas wish come true.
Donate to the Christmas Appeal here
Addy's Story
Addy's devastating diagnosis of Batten disease – known as childhood Dementia - has stolen her ability to walk and eat and it’s likely to be the last Christmas she will be able to see. She is gradually losing all her abilities and tragically, children like Addy aren’t expected to live past the young age of ten years old.
Your gift today can help families to make magical memories while they still can.
Addy's Mum Hayley Says
"Addy is a deeply affectionate child. She loves to cuddle, she loves to kiss. She’s got this cheeky sense of humour and this grumpy and cute face that she does. There’s lots of giggling and laughter in our home, which is really precious. Cognitively she understands what a joke is and finds things funny, which is precious. You don’t want to see that aspect of your child fading and actually we’re not seeing that aspect fade, we’re seeing it develop."
Julia's House is about life, not death
"Everyone at Julia's House is so personable, warm and kind. When people hear ‘hospice’ it can bring up so many connotations in your head. But Julia's House is so much more than that – really it’s about life and not about death. It’s about bringing life to families, who are living in a place of grief. And the hospice is such a beautiful place with the open set up and all the lights and equipment."
What Julia's House Do
Every family receives an allocation of care hours for their child, not a fixed timetable of sessions. Parents are free to ‘spend’ these hours in any way they want – a few hours every week, regular days, or just now and again. Their family support service organises social activities including a dedicated sibling group that helps brothers and sisters build resilience and confidence in a fun, friendly environment.
Playworkers visit families at home to carry out an assessment and then write up a tailored plan that helps them use play for fun, but also for reaching goals like helping a child’s development, or making something medical seem less scary.
They are also there at the end of a child’s life, offering emergency respite and overnight care 24 hours a day, regardless of whether a child is in hospital, at home or at either of their hospices.
Their involvement with a family does not end with the death of their child. They can continue to be there for up to five years, offering bereavement support for parents and siblings, and can also contribute £1,000 towards the cost of a funeral.
