Help get kids back to being kids this Christmas

Children’s Health Foundation is calling on people across Ireland to give a special donation this festive season and help get kids back to being kids.

Many parents across the country would give anything to have their kids at home this Christmas sneaking a peek at presents, refusing brussels sprouts or fighting with their siblings – but they’ll be spending Christmas in hospital.  In fact, 20,132 sick children were cared for as inpatients admissions, outpatients’ appointments, day cases and emergency and urgent care responses in CHI at Crumlin, Temple Street, Tallaght and Connolly in December 2020.

Children’s Health Foundation knows that a lot of parents whose children spend time in CHI’s hospitals and urgent care centres really cherish their little ones’ moments of mischief – whether that’s getting up in the night hoping to hear Santa’s reindeer on the roof or ‘redecorating’ the Christmas cake. There’s something so special about seeing a child who has been through so much, with a beaming, mischievous grin stretching from ear to ear. 

Laura, mum to Olivia and Joshua, who are both CHI patients for many years, being treated for a rare genetic condition says, “Every year without fail, Olivia and Joshua would get sick and we would spend December in hospital, hoping that we could be home in time for Christmas. I’ve seen first-hand how tirelessly the healthcare teams work and it’s thanks to supporters like you they have access to world-class equipment and research that helps them provide the cutting-edge, treatment and care that seriously-ill children like Joshua and Olivia need.”

Denise Fitzgerald, Chief Executive of Children’s Health Foundation says, “Christmas should be the most magical time of the year for every child. It is children who create the true magic of the season – whether that’s a smile of wonder at the Christmas lights or sneaking downstairs at 4am to see what Santa brought. We want to get kids back to being kids and we need your help to do that.”

She added, “With the help of our supporters right across Ireland, we can invest in vital equipment, fund essential patient and parental supports and make ground-breaking paediatric research possible, that has the potential to find new cures and treatments that will change the future of medicine for sick children.”

Companies across the country can become proud supporters of Children’s Health Foundation and help us make our Christmas wish a reality.  By buying a Christmas Wish, companies can help get kids back to being kids, click here for all the details on how to support.

To make a special gift this Christmas and help make a real difference for sick children in CHI at Crumlin, Temple Street, Tallaght and Connolly, simply click donate below!