Friends organise fundraiser to say thanks to the sick children’s trust for supporting their families

A grateful duo are organising a joint fundraiser to say thank you to The Sick Children’s Trust for supporting them when their children were seriously ill in hospital.

Friends John Borthwick and Kelly Smith, from Middlesbrough, are organising an 80’s night as thanks to the charity for supporting them in free ‘Home from Home’ accommodation when their children required lifesaving hospital treatment.

John and his wife Hazel were supported at The Sick Children’s Trust’s Crawford House when their three year old son Jack required an emergency operation to have a cyst removed at Newcastle upon Tyne’s Royal Victoria Infirmary (RVI). 39 year old John says:

“We were supported by The Sick Children’s Trust for a week and we really appreciated having somewhere we could shower after a long day on the ward and cook a homemade meal. We live over an hour away from the RVI so having a place to stay at Crawford House was such a relief as it meant we didn’t have to worry about travelling to see Jack every day. We were always just minutes from his hospital bedside.”

Kelly and her partner Adam Jobes were supported at The Sick Children’s Trust’s Scott House when their daughter Isabelle required lifesaving treatment at Freeman Hospital when doctors discovered she had two holes in her heart and a narrowed artery. Kelly, 38, says:

“By the time we got to Scott House we were both exhausted by the sheer rollercoaster of emotions we had been through and we were so grateful for a space of our own to process everything that had happened.

“We stayed a Scott House for just under two weeks. It gave us somewhere away from the hospital wards to clear our heads and rest, but it was comforting to know we were never far away, especially on the days she was having her operations.

“The staff at Scott House were amazing and so accommodating, we really can't thank them enough.”

John and Kelly 80’s night will be hosted at the Eston and Normanby Social Club on Friday 6 October and they are hoping to raise over £1,000 for The Sick Children’s Trust. Guests are encouraged to attend the event in 80’s themed fancy dress and can expect a fantastic evening with a raffle, an auction and a special performance from the band Manic Monday. Tickets are £5 and can be bought directly from the Eston and Normanby social club. John adds:

“When Kelly and I realised that we had both been supported by The Sick Children’s Trust, we decided we would hold a joint fundraising evening to say thank you. Our families are so grateful for the support we received when our children were in hospital and we all really want to give something back.

“No one can imagine the pain of having a seriously ill child, but The Sick Children’s Trust’s ‘Homes from Home’ offer a haven of comfort when it feels like your world is falling apart.”

The Sick Children’s Trust supports around 4,000 families every year and relies entirely on voluntary donations to do this. It costs the charity £30 to support a family for one night. Elisa Cappello-Dowd, Community Fundraising Manager, says:

“We’d like to say a huge thank you to John and Kelly for their fantastic fundraising efforts and we’re sure their 80’s night will be a huge success. It’s fantastic to hear that Jack and Isabelle are now doing well and we’re pleased we were able to support their families and ensure they could be close to their child’s bedside when they were being treated in hospital.”

For further information about The Sick Children’s Trust, please visit: www.sickchildrenstrust.org.