Amazing Pupils Come Together In Support of One Special Baby Girl

Parents and pupils at a school in Driffield have banded together to collect nearly £400 worth of provisions to donate to Eckersley House, free ‘Home from Home’ accommodation run by The Sick Children’s Trust at Leeds General Infirmary (LGI).

Nafferton Primary School was inspired to donate to The Sick Children’s Trust when their teacher, Nick Buckley, sent out an appeal for provisions. Nick decided to make the appeal after he was supported atEckersley House when his daughter, Emily, was undergoing heart surgery at LGI. The doting father wanted to find a way of giving back to the charity whilst also involving pupils at the school. Primary School Teacher Nick says:

“Emily was born with a hole in the heart, and had to be transferred to LGI at just a few months old when her heart began to fail. Staying at Eckersley House meant that I was just a few minutes’ walk from Emily’s hospital bedside and could visit her as much as I wanted.

“It was a really challenging situation for all the family, but being able to stay at Eckersley House made everything so much easier. The family room we were given was brilliant as it meant my wife, Caroline, and our son, Joseph, could stay too and we could keep the family together.

“The Sick Children’s Trust does outstanding work, but I’d never heard of the charity before we were given a room at Eckersley House. You only ever become aware of these things when they affect you, but it shouldn’t be like that. I want to raise awareness of the vital work of The Sick Children’s Trust not only in my own community, but as far as possible. The support that was given to us was second to none.”

Nick’s dedication to the charity inspired his pupils to donate to Eckersley House’s ‘wish list’, with items such as toilet rolls and washing up liquid. Nick was overwhelmed by the generosity of the school and despite only expecting to do a couple of car trips, a parent of one of the pupil who manages TONKS, asked one of his drivers who was going to Leeds to make a special drop off at the ‘Home from Home’. Eckersley House Manager Jane McHale says:

“We want to thank Nick and the pupils at Nafferton Primary School for all their kind donations. Eckersley House relies entirely on voluntary contributions, so this is very much appreciated!”

Emily, now seven months old, will need to return to LGI for an operation on her heart valves, and the family hope to stay at Eckersley House again. Eckersley House is one of The Sick Children’s Trust’s ten ‘Homes from Home’ which support around 4,000 families a year across the UK. While accommodation is free, it costs the charity £30 per night to support a family whose child is in hospital.

Jane continues: “Although we provide free ‘Home from Home’ accommodation for families with seriously ill children, it costs the charity £30 to support a family for one night. To help raise more money to continue running our ‘Homes from Home’ this October we are asking nursery, playgroups and schools to join in with our Pyjama Party. Pyjama Party takes place on Monday 17 October – Friday 21October and encourages children to be sponsored to wear their favourite pyjamas for the day.”

For more information on The Sick Children’s Trust, please visit www.sickchildrenstrust.org. And to find out how you can get involved in Pyjama Party, please email fundraising@sickchildrenstrust.org.