Children’s
Hospices Across Scotland (CHAS) have long been one of the favourite
charities supported by the Rotary Club of St Andrews. At our Wednesday
lunch an enthralled audience listened as Dawn Anderson, a truly
committed volunteer, described what CHAS can and does do.
The
sad reality is, what if your child dies before you? What if that child
needs 24 hour care? Who can you turn to for help and comfort?
Over 15,400 children in Scotland face life limiting conditions. 5,000 are not even five years old.
3 die every week.
At
first there was no hospice north of Leeds. A Scottish family who had no
choice but to travel to Leeds for hospice care started the movement
north of the border. There are now two facilities, Rachel House at
Kinross and Robin House at Balloch. Each venue can accommodate 8
children and their families. The children sleep downstairs with constant
nursing care while their parents and sibblings are upstairs getting a
good night’s rest. The purpose of a stay is to create happy memories for
both child and family. Days are filled with music, fun activities like
making cakes and enjoying walks.
Teams
of workers also help families in their own home. Often siblings fall
behind at school and they can be given help and encouragement with
homework. It can be very hard to make friends because having a child
with a debilitating condition can be very isolating - there is never
time for oneself.
All
this provision costs money. CHAS consumes a million pounds every month.
Government help currently provides 14% of this total. The rest comes
from sustained fundraising. In 2016 Dawn and her husband,Tom, initiated
the Butterfly Ball at The Old Course Hotel. Its success was repeated in
2018 at The Fairmont Hotel. Look out for details of the next black-tie
event and take a table. At present CHAS can help only 1 in 3 of the
thousands of children who would benefit.
Rotarian
Ian Hamilton proposed thanks,remarking how easy it was just to say,
“Thanks” and how grateful we truly are for the hope and joy CHAS brings
to so many families when their need is greatest