Alfie was born in May 2021 and suffered a brain injury during birth where the blood and oxygen supply to his brain was cut off. This is called HIE, which stands for hypoxic-ischaemic encephalopathy. HIE has caused Alfie multiple difficulties and caring for him is challenging. It has been clear since he was born that he will have an uncertain future as his condition could be potentially life limiting.

After Alfie was discharged from Oldham Hospital at 10 weeks old we went to Derian House in Chorley which is a charity that provides respite and end of life care for Children. The team are incredible and supported us with the transition to home, not only when we were discharged but also during our time on NICU. As you can imagine leaving hospital was a terrifying time for us, learning how to look after a very poorly baby on our own but the staff at Derian House helped us every step of the way. They were on hand for advice when needed and the facilities & activities in the hospice are incredible (Alfie had his first music session and spent time in the sensory room and did a bit of finger painting). Our one week stay there helped build the confidence we needed to get us home as a family.

Derian House are continuing to support us going forward and we are really excited for our next stay where we plan on having more quality time as a family away from the chaos of everyday life and we cannot thank Derian enough for the support they have given us.

This is only a small snippet of the support that Derian provides to hundreds of children with complex health needs and their families. Derian House help children and young people, whose lives are too short, to make happy memories in an environment of fun.