Where Do the Funds Go?
Child-Friendly Books Dealing With Cancer
Professor Sue Ablett CCLG Executive Director, ( www.cclg.org.uk Registered Charity No 286669) contacted the Trust as it is very difficult to secure funding to publish booklets for children and their families. The Emily Ash Trust has seen the importance of the booklets, which range from books for young children which are made easy to read and understand, to a more detailed booklet about dealing with the death of a child for parents and carers. The Trust were delighted to be able to sponsor a number of booklets in the range.
This book is a colourful and beautifully illustrated booklet aimed at young children preparing for a stem harvest and transplant. It follows the story of Ruby, explaining in simple terms what its like to have stem cells harvested and how they are given back. Published December 2009.
This book is aimed at young children preparing to donate bone marrow for a relative. Published March 2009. It's lovely illustrations and simple narrative, prepare the child for the processes involved in providing a transplant.
Adolescent Pamper Days
Losing your hair, having limited contact with friends & family, being stuck in hospital, feeling lousy!! All of these things can have a profound effect on a teenager’s confidence and self esteem. To combat this we take 6 patients, by limo, up to Garfunkels in Oxford Street, London.
After a leisurely lunch, we head over to Topshop where in the VIP suite, the Personal Shoppers are on hand to give the teenagers style advice and help them select a whole new wardrobe. Once we're all shopped out we return to the Royal Marsden with sore feet and lots of bags.
Emily Ash Trust - Topshop Pamper Days
Pamper Days at the Royal Marsden
Every four to six weeks the members of the Trust, all volunteers, organise a pamper day at the Royal Marsden in Sutton, for the parents and guardians. This allows parents and carers, who simply haven’t got the time or opportunity to devote any time to themselves, the chance to relax for a couple of hours while our experts make them look & feel beautiful! With hairdressers, a reflexologist and hand massage available, parents sit back with a glass of wine some nibbles & can enjoy being looked after themselves for a little while. Everyone leaves with a goody bag.
Build-A-Bear & TGI Fridays
We invite families from the Marsden every couple of months to share a day of making new friends, not just of the furry kind! Aimed at younger patients and their siblings, we invite the whole family to this event.
Children are able to choose from a huge range of different furry friends who are then ‘brought to life’ by adding stuffing, a heart, a sound effect, and then finally the stitching.
Then it's time to choose some bear-sized outfits and teddy accessories. After all, a bear’s not complete without its own mobile phone! The children are entertained with games and print out a birth certificate for their bear.
Next, it's on to TGI Fridays, where everyone was able to enjoy a lovely meal in the American style restaurant. Children had time to make new friends and chat to old ones made on the ward. Families had the opportunity to spend time as a whole unit, whereas so much time is spent apart when a child is being treated for cancer. Thank you for your kind donations that allow this fantastic day to go ahead.
Sibling Days Out
The financial and time restraints placed on parents who have a child suffering with cancer are huge. This often means that brothers and sisters don't get the levels of time, attention and fun that they normally would. We arrange a number of adventure days and events especially for them. See our past events page for more information.
Hospital Help
The Emily Ash Trust embarks upon many projects with local hospitals. The Trust donated £20k to Kingston Hospital for an isolated garden. By giving this donation the hospital were able to complete the work and open the garden much earlier than had ever been hoped for. As many children undergoing treatment are unable to mix with others, this garden created a wonderful space for children to escape the monotony of the ward and spend valuable time playing with their brothers and sisters.
Information Technology
When a child needs to have a bone marrow transplant, they initially have to undergo gruelling treatment. This is known as TBI (Total Body Irradiation) where quite literally all existing bone marrow is eradicated. Next Stage is for the transplant its self.
When the child undergoes the transplant and for many weeks afterwards, they have to stay in complete isolation - even their own siblings may not have physical contact - the child merely has 2 allocated guardians who are permitted access over the months. Other family and friends may use 'walkie talkie' phones transmitted through a glass wall to sustain communication with the patient. This is often the most traumatic and frustrating part of the whole transplant procedure.
Jungle Book Mural
When a child is preparing for treatment, they spend literally hours upon end in TBI rooms. By their very nature they are clinical and not very interesting or appealing to spend time in. When undergoing Total Body Irradiation children have to be in the treatment room entirely alone. The trust has commissioned an artist to decorate the TBI room at the RMH with a Jungle Book Mural which has been painted on three walls and on part of the scanner itself. This has helped create a less intimidating, more child friendly environment.
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“This allows the children who visit our department to lose themselves in Rudyard Kipling's tale and also gives us plenty of subject matter to distract them.” Bernadette Cronin, Service Lead - Nuclear Medicine and PET |
Games and Toys
Some of the hospitals have excellent facilities to care for the children's medical needs but are lacking in play facilities and toys to keep the children entertained and educated. We have donated a significant number of new toys, art and craft materials, Wii's, Wii Fit Plus and a large collection of games to local hospitals and will continue to extend this on an annual basis.
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The new playroom being opened at St. George's Hospital |
Holiday Caravans - 2 mobile homes available @ Crowhurst Park, Battle
In March 2004, the Emily Ash Trust purchased an executive mobile home on a stunning caravan park in Battle, Sussex. This proved to be so popular with families and was always booked up so in 2009 the Trust decided to invest some of the money so generously donated by our amazing fundraisers and supporters in the purchase of another mobile home. These are for the sole use of families and children who are suffering from any form of cancer.
These families rarely book ahead for their summer holiday and naturally do not feel comfortable going abroad. Our holiday homes have all the facilities to allow families to go away together for a short break without much notice, to spend some quality time together.
To find out more about availability for a FREE break please contact Heidi Rolfe on:
07932 747585 - www.crowhurstpark.co.uk
A Trip Of A Lifetime
Each year, The Emily Ash Trust is able to offer a family the chance to visit Santa in Lapland – a truly unforgettable experience for the child, and for their family.
