News Spring/Summer 2020
Inside: • Discover how you’ve made a difference to four-year-old Rudi • Meet Judith, our new Head of Care • Get involved in our brand new #LetsPledge campaign
01909 517 360
www.bluebellwood.org
@BluebellWoodCH
Bluebell Wood Children’s Hospice
Photos/graphics: Mary-Ellen Photography, Dean Atkins, Ant Oxley Photography, Freepix Registered charity no: 1076958. Company no: 3809663
“Bluebell Wood is a safe and comfortable place for us to go - that’s what it feels like to me,” - Daniella, Rudi’s mum
Meet Rudi Rudi was five-months-old when his family began to suspect something wasn’t quite right, as he wasn’t developing as quickly as he should be. A couple of weeks later, his mum Daniella took Rudi to their GP, and soon after they were given the Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA) diagnosis that would change their lives. But throughout his short life, he’s kept his infectious smile and his family have vowed to stay positive. Daniella said, “It just felt like everything was pulled away from us. I cried all the way through the hospital - it’s all a bit of a blur. I remember asking what kind of treatments were available and they said there weren’t any. SMA Type 1 is an incurable genetic condition that makes muscles weaker and causes problems with movement. It’s just a case of waiting for the inevitable while caring for Rudi as well as we can and making sure he has what he needs.” When Rudi was about 14-months-old, the family had their first real scare when a cold became more serious. Daniella remembered, “Rudi couldn’t breathe for himself. He nearly died two or three times. I stayed there every night and I barely ate throughout.” The family had many difficult conversations during the three-week hospital stay, with doctors telling them Rudi may never return home. But courageous Rudi battled on. “Some people would say you’re burying your head in the sand. But what choice do I have? I can’t just sit here and cry all the time. Whether he has six months, a year, five or ten, if the inevitable does happen, I’ll do my crying then.” The family was introduced to Bluebell Wood after Rudi’s diagnosis, but didn’t become regular visitors until Rudi was almost two-years-old. They’ve not looked back since. “A couple of short breaks at home with community nurses and I eventually got the courage to leave him for a short while. Just to go for a coffee or a short walk – I’d never really left him before. Then I got a letter though the post about Busy Bees and Wriggle and Rhyme sessions. I decided to give it a try - and we absolutely loved it.” Rudi’s always ready with a cheeky smile for all he meets. Daniella added, “Everyone’s welcoming, understanding and has empathy for our situation. Nothing is ever too much trouble.”
Our star supporters We work with some incredible supporters from local businesses and out in the community who have gone above and beyond to make a difference to local families. Here’s what some of them have been getting up to since our last update.
An incredible two-year partnership comes to an end After an incredible two years, our partnership with the Derbyshire Charity Clay Shoot has come to an end. The annual event - which is held at the iconic Chatsworth House - is one of the largest and most generously supported charity clay shoots in the UK, and we were lucky enough to be chosen as one of the event’s charity partners in 2018 and 2019. Corporate Fundraiser, Julie Hampson, said, “Over the past two years we’ve received a staggering £75,000 in donations through the event’s charity auctions. “Our partnership with the Derbyshire Charity Clay Shoot has been incredibly special, and words don’t seem enough to thank them for their generosity.”
Paul ‘drums up’ over £1,390 for Bluebell Wood 10 years after pouring his heart into a music event in memory of his mum - where he drummed for seven hours - Paul Holden decided to get the band back together (well, nine to be exact), this time for Bluebell Wood. Paul played 105 songs with the bands, drumming for an eye-watering eight hours. He’s raised a phenomenal £1,396. He said, “We have friends that have had amazing support from Bluebell Wood over the last few years and I wanted to show them and the hospice some love.”
Afternoon tea, anyone? From enjoying homemade cakes to clinking glasses of prosecco, supporters in Retford were treated to a fabulous afternoon tea, organised by our incredible Retford Support Group last year. The group - which is made up of volunteers from across Bassetlaw - was started in 2002, and this latest afternoon tea raised an amazing £1,770 for the hospice. Thanks so much to everyone involved!
Firehouse Fitness’ fighting fit fundraiser Members of the Sheffield gym, Firehouse Fitness, pushed themselves to the limits last year, completing a gruelling 30 day fitness challenge and raising over £3,000 for local families. The #Firehouse30 challenge captured the imagination of gymgoers who wanted to take it to the next level, by lifting weights, flipping tyres, and tackling high intensity workouts. Rob McGuigan, director of Firehouse Fitness, said: “We had an incredible response from our members who really pushed themselves to raise funds for Bluebell Wood. “The Firehouse 30 challenge is certainly not easy so I’m incredibly proud of everyone who gave it a go. Watch this space for more fundraising challenges in the future!”
Second time lucky for Sheffield runner, Nick Do you remember Nick Goodson from our last update? Nick mistakenly thought he had a place in last year’s London Marathon, and - after realising he didn’t have a spot - ended up running solo around Sheffield on marathon-day so he didn’t let his sponsors down. We’re pleased to say we’ve offered Nick our charity place in the 2020 London Marathon now planned for October so he’ll be able to experience the exceptional atmosphere while he runs, after all his fantastic fundraising.
Meet Sam, our new Head of Fundraising We’d like to introduce you to Sam, our new Head of Fundraising. She joined Bluebell Wood in January from Lindsey Lodge Hospice in North Lincolnshire, and is a former Head of Fundraising and Communications at Rotherham Hospice. We’re delighted to have her on board. She said, “Bluebell Wood is loved and respected across the region for the unique care and support it provides to families. “I am proud and excited to be in a position to promote its work, strengthen long-term relationships, develop new ones and grow our fundraising income. “It means the world to me to do my job in the knowledge that it’s helping families cope with very difficult life situations.”
Molly’s story ‘Mischievous’ Molly was full of joy. She spent the final days of her life at Bluebell Wood, surrounded by her family. Mum, Carolyne, shares their story: “We had our first scare when Molly was threemonths-old. I was feeding her and she went limp in my arms, so I got straight into the car and took her to the doctors.” It was the first of many scares. A few weeks later, Molly was diagnosed with severe epilepsy. Carolyne said, “The seizures affected her brain, and the longer they lasted the more it broke down her development. She needed 24 hour care.” Seizures became a regular occurrence in Molly’s life. Carolyne said, “Molly was a tough cookie. Anything that was thrown at her, she’d get herself back together again. She was very popular, and just had one of those smiles that melted you.” Carolyne first visited Bluebell Wood in 2012 with a friend, but it wasn’t until the most devastating of circumstances that her family found their way back to the hospice. It came after a family holiday to Spain in 2015 took a tragic turn. The day after Boxing Day, a visit to a café ended with Molly choking and being starved of oxygen. A few days later, she was transferred from Spain to Sheffield Children’s Hospital. “The doctor said that in the unlikely event that she were to ever wake up, she wouldn’t be Molly anymore. We made the impossible decision to remove the tubes that were helping her breathe, but being who she was she breathed on her own. When the doctor mentioned Bluebell Wood I said yes without hesitation! “Everyone at the hospice was fantastic. They put two beds in Molly’s room so my mum and I could sleep at either side of her, and they set up the room with rope lights which I know she’d have loved.” Molly battled on for 16 days, defying expectations. Carolyn said, “On her last night I slept with my head on hers. When I woke up she was gone. The care staff switched on all the lights and I was so pleased our heads were together. It was her way of saying, ‘I’m going now mum’.” “Having that time at Bluebell Wood meant everything to me. The staff really couldn’t do enough. There’s no price you could put on those last days we had together.”
Meet Judith Bentley, our new Head of Care
We are incredibly proud of our specialist care team, and are delighted to welcome our new Head of Care, Judith Bentley, to the Bluebell Wood family. Judith joined us in September from Pinderfields Hospital in Wakefield, where she specialised in helping children with autism, and managed the children’s epilepsy, learning disability, continence, ADHD and respiratory teams. Amazingly, Judith’s nursing career didn’t begin until she was 38 - after working as a florist and raising two sons - and she is a firm believer that age shouldn’t be a barrier to achieving your dreams! Judith said, “When I became a nurse at Pinderfields I juggled my training and then the job with being a mum of teenagers. It wasn’t always easy, but the career I came to later in life has always been my calling and has been hugely rewarding. “I’m enjoying bringing all the experience I’ve gained to the hospice. My focus is on helping children and young people make the most of every moment they have with their families, and giving the most dignified and comfortable care to those coming to the end of their lives. I feel very privileged to be a part of this wonderful team.”
Judith said, “My focus is on helping families make the most of every moment. “I feel very privileged to be a part of this wonderful team.”
Fantastic Fundraising Your generosity helps children and families during incredibly tough times. Here are just some of the fundraisers who have supported us recently. We’re so proud to have people like you on Team Bluebell! To find out how you can pledge to support us in the future visit www.bluebellwood.org/letspledge.
Meet the daredevils who’ve taken to the sky for Bluebell Wood... Bluestream Academy’s ‘Super Six’ Face your fears, live your dreams: that’s the mantra uttered by the ‘BSA Super Six’ - otherwise known as Courteney, Natalie, Brady, Emily, Lewis and John - who did something extraordinary for Bluebell Wood when they ascended into the sky for our skydive in September, raising £3,000! Courteney said, “The skydive was truly incredible. We felt proud to be part of such a worthwhile achievement.” Jacqueline, Chair of the St Ralph Sherwin Catholic Multi Academy Trust In October of last year Jacqueline also took part in a tandem skydive at Langer Airfield near Nottingham. She said, “Visiting the hospice and meeting some of the staff and young people there was a moving experience. The skydive was a once in a lifetime event and I’m so glad to have done it!” After raising an incredible £1,500, what’s next? Well, Jacqueline and Trust, CEO, Sean, have pledged to tackle a Three Peaks Challenge in support of Bluebell Wood and fellow children’s hospice, Rainbows. We can’t wait to hear how they get on!
We wanted to let you know that our Community Fundraising Manager, Sally Baker, is now supporting your fabulous fundraising in Chesterfield and Derbyshire. If you’d like to get in touch with Sally about fundraising in your area, please call 01909 517 360 or email her at sally.baker@bluebellwood.org. She’d love to help!
A festive haul from the Hallamshire Round Table
Georgia’s birthday gift to Bluebell Wood
We’d like to say a huge thank you to Hallamshire Round Table for raising a fantastic £1,000 for us - and for delighting children from Dore and Crosspool in the process! The kindhearted group persuaded Santa to visit the Sheffield suburbs in his brightly decorated sleigh during the festive season, raising money for Bluebell Wood at the same time. Chris Pitchfork, Hallamshire Round Table chairman, said: “All our volunteers had a great time and because of people’s support we have raised a fantastic amount for charity.”
Six-year-old Georgia knew exactly what she wanted to do to celebrate her birthday... Rather than presents from the 26 friends attending her party she asked for donations to the hospice instead, raising a whopping £300! Georgia’s mum, Lyndsey, said, “She knows how much Bluebell Wood help our friend and her little boy, George. She’s a very kind little girl and always thinks of others before herself.” Thank you, Georgia!
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15th time lucky for marathon man, Russell Barnsley dad Russ Coulson doesn’t believe in lucky numbers - but he might need to change his mind. After trying to win a place in the London Marathon for 14 years, Russ has finally struck lucky, and is planning to sprint through the streets at the next London Marathon for Bluebell Wood. Russ said, “I just could not believe it when I heard I had been successful. Taking part in the London Marathon has been on my bucket-list for such a long time. “Each year I’ve filled in the entry form and every time when I got the rejection letter I vowed never to do it again. But each August, as soon as entries opened, I couldn’t help myself. This year, all that persistence has finally paid off!”
e g d e l P s t e L # e a difference to mak
#LetsPledge It’s sometimes said that one person can’t make a difference – but we beg to differ. Our amazing supporters have taken on all manner of weird and wonderful challenges over the years - from events that have seen supporters cycle across Europe, to individual acts of courage such as braving the shave or taking on an abseil. Each and every act, no matter how big or small, makes a huge difference to the children and families we support. And while - faced with so much uncertainty - many of these extraordinary acts of dedication and kindness aren’t possible right now, we’d love to have you on our side when they are. That’s why we’ve launched our #LetsPledge campaign. We’re asking amazing supporters like you to pledge to support the most vulnerable children and young people in our communities when the time is right for you. From climbing a mountain to holding a collection bucket, any pledges, no matter how big or small, will make a huge difference. As we all stay indoors and do what we can to protect one another, the virtual world could also be your oyster, whether you run a marathon in your back garden or crochet creatures for us to sell later in the year. #LetsPledge is not a one-way street. We’re proud to be part of our local community and we pledge to offer you whatever support we can in return, to support our NHS, and to carry on providing our vital care for some of the most vulnerable children and young people in our community. Visit www.bluebellwood.org/letspledge to read about the campaign and get involved now! We’re all in this together. #LetsPledge.
key workers
#Lets Pledge
to support our
Ready to make your pledge to support children like William?
Download our pledge packs at www.bluebellwood.org/letspledge and let us know how you’ll be pledging your support to the hospice, when the time is right for you.
Bluebell Wood Children’s Hospice, Cramfit Road, North Anston, Sheffield, South Yorkshire, S25 4AJ