Children with life-limiting conditions and their families were treated to a fun day at a city farm, thanks to our Lifetime Service and the Sirona Foundation.
Young people from across Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire enjoyed meeting the animals at St Werburghs City Farm, in Bristol, and taking part in craft activities and workshops.
Our Lifetime Service provides nursing and psychological support within the community to children with life-threatening and life-limiting conditions and their families.
Twenty-nine children, siblings and parents took part in the fun day to spend quality time together, meet the Lifetime Team and to get to know other families who are being supported by the service.
Amanda Wickham and her 15-year-old son Jacob spent the morning at the event. Jacob – who has Treacher-Collins syndrome, cerebral palsy and scoliosis – is supported by the Lifetime Service which provides night-time care, training and medical help, and psychological support.
Amanda, who is a full-time carer for Jacob, said: “I’ve had help from the Lifetime Service since he was born. They are great and I’m so grateful, I’d be lost without them.”
“Jacob has complex medical needs and needs someone with him 24/7. The Lifetime Service provides night-time care four nights a week. It means they can look after him over night so I can get a full night’s sleep.
“I also have a Lifetime Nurse who supports me with any training I need and medical help at home. They make a massive difference to us.”
The Lifetime Service comprises three teams, which are all supported by the administration team. The Core Team undertakes clinical tasks, training, palliative care, bereavement support and compiles health and care plans; the Continuing Care Team recruits and trains support workers who provide overnight support and care in school settings; and the Lifetime Psychology Team works alongside the nursing team to support the family’s emotional and psychological wellbeing. They help the family to adjust to the child’s medical condition and prognosis, manage symptoms and complex treatment regimes, prepare for surgery, and provide bereavement support.
Dr Nell Ellison, Clinical Psychologist and Head of Lifetime Psychology, said: “We hold sibling days and fun days to enable the families we support to enjoy time together and meet other families in a similar situation, get to know the Lifetime team, and take part in activities designed to promote wellbeing and manage emotions.
“Having a child with complex needs can be very isolating and emotionally demanding, so families find it so beneficial to meet others in a similar position to them and learn ways to support their own psychological wellbeing. We are thrilled to be able to hold these events and we love meeting all our families.”
Hannah Gordon, Core Team Lead, praised the efforts of everyone who worked hard to organise the event. She said: “It was a welcome opportunity for the children and families to meet the team that are involved in their child’s care, including our rota co-ordinators who support the Continuing Care Team.”
The event was funded by the Sirona Foundation, which awards grants to local charities and projects which make a difference to the health and wellbeing of local communities.
Karen Evans, Head of Specialist Services for Children and Sirona’s Integrated Immunisation Services, said: “We’d like to say a big thank you to the Sirona Foundation for providing this unique opportunity for families and the Lifetime team to meet collectively.”
You can find out more about Sirona’s Lifetime Service on our website.
