Giving kids with limited lives unlimited possibilities
The Cherry Family Foundation made a substantial contribution to Lifelites’ work with life-limited and disabled children attending Children’s Trust, Tadworth. Their £20,000 grant ensures Lifelites can provide a fantastic, brand new package of life-changing technology to support 220 life-limited and disabled children using this service each year for the next four years.
“This package of technology will allow the children to express themselves and explore different communication techniques and games using accessible technology that can be adapted to their individual needs. It will allow the children to engage and interact with the [children’s hospice care] team and those around them.”
Samantha, children’s hospice worker
For most children, childhood is playing with brothers and sisters, making friends, and achieving on the sports field and at school. For children with life-limiting illnesses and disabilities, however, these activities are all too often out of reach. This is particularly the case for children whose conditions might include cancer, motor or learning disabilities, and autism, and who may spend much of their often short lives inside their homes. These children have a lot to cope with. Often, they are trapped in bodies that don’t do as they are told; they may not be able to talk, they may have to use a wheelchair or other mobility aids, they might struggle with holding things. They may be unable to communicate their basic needs, pain, frustrations or fears. They live in a restricted world where the majority of their choices are made for them; constantly in and out of hospital undergoing medical treatment, and unable to do much independently.
“Lifelites equipment can make a child’s stay with us feel special, it can help them to feel valued, it’s exciting for them and helps improve their quality of life whatever their ability.”
Children’s hospice staff member
For the past 22 years, Lifelites has been the only charity supporting children using every children’s hospice service across the British Isles by donating and maintaining packages of assistive and inclusive technologies. These technologies are special because they enable children with often profound and complex conditions to make music, play, take part in creative activities, control something for themselves and communicate, for as long as possible.
“This package of technology will make such a difference to all our children. It will help them form friendships in such difficult circumstances, it will help to distract from day to day routines with medicines, as well as being fun and helping them learn through play”.
Diane, children’s hospice worker
When Lifelites launched a new funder pledge campaign Cherry Family Foundation became Lifelites’ first Platinum Donor, pledging £20,000 towards the cost of the equipment in a technology package we will be donating for the children at Children’s Trust, Tadworth in 2022. This includes technology to enable children to explore new virtual worlds from their wheelchair or hospice bed, and to swim with turtles, or explore parts of the world that they may never be able to visit.
It includes technology that enables children who can’t move any part of their bodies except their eyes to paint, play with brothers and sisters and tell their mum that they love her for the first time. The technology Lifelites will donate will give these children a chance to communicate their feelings and distract them from the conditions and medical treatments that many undergo on a regular basis.
The Cherry Family Foundation made all this possible!
Lifelites-donated technology gives the children happy experiences and supports them to enjoy their short lives for as long as possible. The Cherry Family Foundation has made all of this possible and we and the children are immensely grateful.
Find out more about LifeLites and their charitable work.
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