Parents of boys who survived life-threatening crash raise over £3,900 to thank charity that kept them together

The parents of two brothers who were involved in a horrific road traffic accident which killed their beloved Auntie and left the boys in a life-threatening condition have raised £3,910 for The Sick Children’s Trust.

Jayden and Ellis Pesterfield, now nine and six from Boston, were rushed over 70 miles from home for lifesaving treatment at Addenbrooke’s Hospital in Cambridge when a road traffic accident killed their Auntie Laura and left them fighting for life. Their parents, Nikkita and Mark, were told to prepare for the worse, but both boys made a miraculous recovery in just two weeks, after intense treatment at the specialist hospital.

Now, more than a year on, Jayden and Ellis are both making excellent progress, and alongside their parents, have been continually fundraising for The Sick Children’s Trust. The charity, which runs free ‘Home from Home’ accommodation supporting families with seriously ill children in hospital, provided Nikkita and Mark with a room in its Acorn House, located just a few minutes’ walk from their sons’ hospital bedsides as they fought for their lives. Mum Nikkita, whose latest fundraising event was a charity ball held at Hubberts Bridge Community Centre, says:

“A constable turned up to deliver the horrendous news that Laura had died and the boys had been rushed to hospital. When we arrived at Addenbrooke’s we were told that the next 72 hours were critical.

“We were then handed a key and told we had a room at a place called Acorn House, run by The Sick Children’s Trust. I had no idea what Acorn House was. It was completely off our radar that there was free accommodation run by a charity for families whose lives had been thrown into complete turmoil in situations similar to ours.

“When we arrived at Acorn House we were shown around, but to be honest we still hadn’t taken everything in. Our lives had changed in a matter of hours, so we didn’t take note of where the bathroom was, or that there was a kitchen and living room. But the following day, and the days after, we came to realise how important having these areas was. We felt like we had a ‘Home from Home’ and it gave us great comfort while we waited for our boys to become responsive. We also realised that Acorn House could become our home for the next few months and that did relieve some of our worries as we could be by our boys – the most important people in our lives – any time we wanted.”

“It’s over a year since the accident, and it’s been an absolute whirlwind. The boys make us so proud at how far they’ve come. We’ve received lots of support from friends and family and were overwhelmed with how much was raised from our charity ball. We can’t thank everyone enough for their generosity and constant care.”

The Sick Children’s Trust runs ten ‘Homes from Home’ across the country supporting families with seriously ill children in hospital. Although the accommodation is free for families, it costs The Sick Children’s Trust £30 to support a family for one night. Acorn House Manager, Abi Abdel-aal, says:

“It’s wonderful to hear how the community have come together to support Jayden and Ellis’ family. It sounds like the charity ball was a fantastic evening and it raised so much money.

“We’d like to say a huge thank you to everyone that has supported the Jayden and Ellis’ family, and in turn helped families with seriously ill children in hospital stay close to their bedsides.”

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