“Christmas is the most amazing time of year, with so much positivity and happiness in the air. But when you have a child as poorly as our son Jack, nothing is ever that simple”
– Victoria, Jack’s mum
Jack's story
Jack was born with an unknown neurological disorder. He has multiple complex medical needs, requires 24/7 care and his condition is life-limiting. Having been in and out of hospital, and on and off life support ventilators his whole life, Jack’s mum Victoria describes him as a true fighter. Now aged 13 Jack has had three cardiac arrests and his family have had to say goodbye to him too many times.
“As a parent this has been the hardest and most devastating thing to do.”
During a particularly desperate time when the family thought they were going to lose Jack, a member of the WellChild Family Tree recommended they join the group, as it had been a great source of support for them.
The WellChild Family Tree allowed Victoria and Jack’s dad to read posts from other parents who had children in similar situations to Jack. They started to post and share Jack’s journey, seeking support from the other members and even meeting up with families who lived close by.
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Victoria and Jack’s family are not alone. There are more than 100,000 children in the UK living with serious health needs. Those who look after and care for these children often feel isolated when they are faced with devastating health scares and the day to day, life changing reality of caring for a seriously ill child.
Jack’s family do not know how long they have him for, but they do know it’s only for a short time. They make every day as happy as they can for him and embrace every second they have together. “We are very excited about spending time as a family this Christmas.”
Give a gift to WellChild to help more families enjoy their time together and make precious memories at home this Christmas.
The WellChild Family Tree exists to bring these families together for mutual support, advice and friendship. It enables parents to feel included, supported and listened to.
The WellChild Family Tree provides parents with the emotional resilience they need at the toughest of times and the darkest days of their child’s journey. There are hundreds of people in the WellChild Family Tree who are all going through the same thing. Victoria’s experience echoes that of many of the families we support: “to be part of a larger network of other parents who we can turn to whenever we need to, who are there for us through the good times and the bad, brings so much inspiration and strength”