ABBY'S HEROES
This organization has already been registered
Someone in your organization has already registered and setup an account. would you like to join their team?Profile owner : s***y@a**********s.o*g
Mission Statement
The aim of our charity is to help and support children and their families, including bereaved families, who come under the care of the Piam Brown and the Teenagers and Young Adults (TYA) wards at Southampton General Hospital. We offer financial and practical help as well as the opportunity to make lasting memories for the children and their families.
About This Cause
Abby’s Heroes exists because when a child is diagnosed with cancer, we know it has a devastating impact on the physical, financial and emotional health and wellbeing of the whole family, both during and after treatment and beyond. Abby’s Heroes supports families with a range of practical measures and programmes to help families going through the harsh reality of childhood cancer. Our charity supports children receiving cancer treatment and their families at University Hospital Southampton (one of 19 Regional Paediatric Oncology Centres throughout the UK) living in the Wessex Region which includes Hampshire, Isle of Wight, Dorset, West Sussex, Wiltshire, Surrey and the Channel Islands. University Hospital Southampton has two wards which we support – the Piam Brown Ward and the Teenage and Young Adult Unit (TYA). The Piam Brown Ward cares for children up to the age of 16 at the time of diagnosis and the TYA looks after young people from the age of 16 to 24 at the time of diagnosis. Having a child diagnosed with cancer can turn families lives upside down. The child’s life is completely taken over by the diagnosis and family’s world is thrown into utter chaos and panic as they watch their child go through the rigours of treatment. The reality of the future these families face includes months or often years of treatment, often miles away from home and families are often separated for long periods of time as parents need to stay with their child in hospital. Siblings need to be looked after and jobs are put on hold. Inevitably, financial implications start to hit home which puts a massive strain on families as normal life ceases to exist. Unfortunately, day-to-day life doesn’t stop with a cancer diagnosis. We know we can’t change the course of a child’s treatment, lessen the emotional devastation or solve the financial crisis parents so often find themselves in following their child’s diagnosis but we can be there from the very start of a long and difficult journey and do our best to support families every step of the way. Our support includes: Welfare Packs Each family of a newly diagnosed child on Piam Brown and the Teenage and Young Adult Unit (TYA) will receive a Welfare Pack which has a voucher for the Hospital Car Park and Gift Cards for the Hospital Outlets at M&S, Costa and WHSmith to help with the initial costs (approx. £120) These are issued by the Young Lives vs Cancer team on Piam Brown Ward. Please speak to your Young Lives verses Cancer Social Worker if you have not received this. Financial Hardship Grants We offer financial grants to help with the additional costs of caring for a child/young person. These grants are applied for by the CLIC team on Piam Brown Ward and the Teenage and Young Adult Unit (TYA) at University Hospital Southampton and we pay families direct into their bank account. These can be for a variety of reasons such as help towards the rent/mortgage payment, travel costs to hospital, living costs in hospital, equipment, etc. Please speak to your CLIC Sargent Social Worker if you are struggling with the extra costs and they may be able to apply for a grant from Abby’s Heroes. End of Treatment Awards We want children, together with their families, to acknowledge their courage, strength and determination by “Ringing the Bell” and celebrate with our End of Treatment Award. We understand the gruelling treatment and invasive procedures they have gone through as well as all the missed special occasions they have been too unwell to join in. Each child who “Rings the Bell” on Piam Brown will receive £200 to spend on a treat for themselves. When your child “Rings the Bell” on the Ward, you will be given an envelope and asked to get in touch with us. We provide End of Treatment Awards for children on Piam Brown Ward. Clinical Psychologist for the Siblings We fund a Clinical Psychologist for siblings of children with cancer to help equip siblings for the duration of the brother/sister’s treatment and beyond. Sarah will be there to listen to siblings and help them talk about how they feel which can make a huge difference. Counselling Service We know that the impact of cancer is far wider than the immediate or ongoing treatment, together with the long term effect on a child or the Young Person diagnosed with cancer. We understand the huge range of emotions you may experiencing such as anxiety, fear, exhaustion, feelings of sadness, anger at your family’s situation, loneliness or feelings of helplessness. Many family members continue to juggle the demands of work and childcare which can add to feelings of stress, fatigue and generally being overloaded. We believe that many parents may find it easier to talk to someone outside of their friends and family and may benefit from speaking to a professional Counsellor. The Counsellor will listen to you and will help you to discuss your feelings and worries. They will help you identify some emotional and physical coping mechanisms. Counselling is completely unique because you can talk freely and with complete honesty as a Counsellor will never judge you or criticise you. They are an impartial individual who sits completely out with your circle of family and friends. Whether you're in the midst of treatment or are years beyond – it’s vital to get the support you need to cope. We want to ensure that no parent feels alone and unable to seek professional help to support them through the challenges of childhood cancer. Please contact us at info@abbys-heroes.org if you wish to use this service. Magazine Subscriptions We provide a huge range of magazine titles for the Piam Brown Ward and TYA each month. These can be accessed via the QR codes which are displayed in each room, the Day Unit and the Parents Room on the Ward or Lounge on TYA. There are over 70 titles and these can be downloaded and accessed via phones or tablets. Snack Boxes We provide a snack box on Piam Brown Ward so you can grab something to eat if your child is admitted as an emergency, too poorly to leave the ward etc. Please do let us know if there is anything you would like to have in the Snack Box. COVID-19 Response We understand how the COVID-19 pandemic has made life very difficult on the Piam Brown Ward. To help with this and improve the morale of everyone on the ward, Abby’s Heroes has been arranging pizza deliveries on Saturday nights and sandwiches/picnic food on one day during the week from awell-known store. Toys In addition, we have provided individual toys and activities for the children (and parents!) to help relieve the boredom and pass the long hours in hospital - Meccano, Trump cards, Painting by numbers, Uno to name but a few things!! These things don’t change the dreadful time children, parents and staff are facing at this difficult time but hopefully it makes it a little more bearable for a short while during these extraordinary times.