Children and young people in Fermanagh who suffer from life-limiting diseases, including cancer, were given a boost this week with the news that the Northern Ireland Hospice Care is to open the North's second children's hospice at Killadeas later this year.
Brindley House, a former children's home, has been acquired and the target sum of £350,000 has been decided on to pay for the refurbishment and extension of the building.
This week, two Hospice administrators travelled down to Fermanagh to brief the 'Herald' on the development. Katie Setterfield, the appeals' coordinator and Ina Henry, the director of income generation/marketing, explained that, when finished, 'Horison West' - the name for the new hospice - will have four bedrooms as well as two family rooms, for parents wishing to stay with their children together with day care facilities, complementary therapies and breavement support.
Katie and Ina are looking forward to financial support from a very active Fermanagh support group, as well as from the schools and organisations, such as Rotary. In fact, one school, Elmbrook recently raised some £900 and a local family, Ann and Kirsty Allen a further £4,000 from a parachute jump. Enniskillen Rotary also donated a substantial amount from their gala night at the end of last year.
So, with this kind of community support, the Hospice feels confident that its forthcoming 'Building Blocks Appeal', at £10 a block will be equally well responded to.
It is believed there are 860 children/young people across Northern Ireland have life-threatening illnesses. Many of these conditions result in the child becoming more and more dependant on their parents and carers. Many require substantial or full-time care.
Last year, the NI Children's Hospice, based at Horison House in Belfast, helped 250 of those families but, as Katie and Ina explained, it wants to make this service more accessible to families in the West.
"It is estimated that around 136 life-limited children reside in the Western Health and Social Services Board area from 60-plus families. In 2003, a Big Lottery Fund grantenabled the WHSSB and ourselves set up a 'hospice at home' service for these young people. It has been very highly evaluated, and that evaluation has identified the need for both the continuation of the 'care at home' and, also, building on existing services and providing additional support to those families", they explained.
It is here that the former Brindley House facility comes into its own, offering respite, care and support for the parents, a safe environment, opportunities for 'one to one' care, complementary thereapies, out of hours' care and, finally, day care.
Katie and Ina were upbeat about the proposed uses of Horison West.
"It offers an exciting opportunity to bring a unique residential and day care facility to Fermanagh and the surrounding area, making those essential services more accessible. We see its use as flexible day care, respite for up to four children and two families, teenage week-ends for up to six people, as well as bereavement support".
They two Hospice administrators listed the benefits of a locally-based service to life-limited children and young people, among them reduced travel time to and from existing respite services, and they remained confident that the £350,000 required for the refurbishment/extension of Brindley House will be met.
The £10 bricks can be 'bought' by contacting Northern Ireland Hospice care at Belfast 90 781836 or going on to the website,
www.nihospicecare.com
