Currently, families must travel more than 100 miles from Aberdeen to get the respite and palliative care they need. You can help change that.
Life is precious. That's the ethos of Charlie House, a local charity that supports children with life-limiting and life-threatening conditions in the North-east of Scotland.
The goal is simple – to support children to live as full lives as possible. The focus is on what children can do, not what they can’t, and Charlie House provides fun and accessible activities for the whole family to enjoy and create treasured memories together.
We’re Kris and Jo, and we want to share our story and what Charlie House has done for our family. Our daughter, Emelia, was just six months old when she contracted a severe form of Norovirus. She was rushed to hospital, where she spent six long weeks. When she got home, we still didn’t know what was wrong with our little girl. She went from thriving and reaching her normal milestones to stalling.
54 UK facilities
Providing respite, palliative, and end-of-life care for children in the UK
2 in Scotland
Only two of these facilities are in Scotland, both of which are in the central belt
After many hospital visits and tests, Emelia was diagnosed with a serious hereditary condition, known as GA1, which stops the body breaking down protein. Emelia had suffered damage to the brain, and doctors advised that she may never walk or talk. How would we care for our little girl?
100 miles
Distance families must travel from Aberdeen to receive the necessary specialist support
Over 1,800
Children in the North-east who need palliative or end-of-life care
Currently, children like Emelia must travel to get the respite and palliative care they need. You can help change that. The Charlie House Big Build Appeal will create a specialist support centre in Aberdeen. With sixteen purpose-built bedrooms, the facility will provide vital respite, palliative and end-of-life care for children. Can you give £20 to help build one of the bedrooms to support a child like Emelia?
There are currently 1,800 children in the North-east who need palliative or end-of-life care. So please support the children’s bedroom appeal with a gift of £20 and help local children get the care they need.
Despite all her challenges, Emelia is a happy little girl. She’s always smiling, and loves being the middle sister to our other children, Summer and Esme.
Unfortunately, our youngest daughter, Esme, is also a carrier of the GA1 gene. Esme is very vulnerable to bugs which could have a severe impact on her. This means she’s incredibly restricted in what she can and can’t do, to keep her safe. She can’t attend nursery, and we must monitor everything she does, from what she eats to where she plays. Esme is regularly admitted to hospital, often for weeks at a time, to manage her condition. We live our lives day to day.
We found Charlie House two years ago, and the charity has honestly changed our lives.
They recognise that families like us need practical and emotional support. They help children like Emelia and Esme have fun, and to do the things that little children should do.
£150,000
To create a children’s bedroom in our new specialist facility
A gift of £20
Can help local children get the care they need and deserve
Demand for Charlie House’s support increased by 84% following the covid pandemic.
We must act now to ensure that every child gets the vital respite, palliative and end-of-life care they need and deserve. You can help provide that care for local children.
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At the end of the day, all we want is for our children to be happy and to live their lives to the fullest.
Your support will help make that possible at the most difficult of times.
Thank you,
Kris and Jo Wilson,
Dad and Mum to Summer, Emelia and Esme
In 2018 Charlie House launched the Big Build Appeal to raise £8m. Our ultimate goal is to build a dedicated support centre in Aberdeen, so that families don't need to travel over 100 miles to get the specialist care and support they need.
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Adapting to life and caring for your child with a life-limiting condition can be difficult, isolating, stressful and life-changing. Charlie House is here to help you every step of the way.
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Our work supports families who need it most and you can help us do it! Take part in challenges, start your own fundraising initiative or donate to our current appeal. There's so much you can do to show your support for us.
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The support we provide is driven by the needs of the children & their families in our local area.
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