Date published: 29 February 2016 by Digital Team
It all started with a 12 year old girl who was dying of cancer…
Rachel had terminal cancer. She didn’t want to die in hospital. She wanted to die at home, surrounded by her family. I was there to support and comfort Rachel and her mum, during those final few weeks. Within months, word had spread of the help given the family and I received more requests for support, more than I could manage on my own.
Rainbow Trust Children’s Charity has come a long way since it began in my kitchen 30 years ago. I founded it on the principle that no family with a child that has a life threatening or terminal illness should suffer in silence or alone.
Since 1986, generous supporters like you, have enabled us to grow remarkably. There are now 9 teams of Family Support Workers, around the country, who are dedicated to supporting families in this unimaginable situation. Last year Rainbow Trust helped a record 1,958 families. Unfortunately it’s not enough, there are thousands more families that we can’t help, simply because we don’t have the resources.
Over the course of last year, we received nearly 700 referrals of new families in need. These referrals came from hospices, hospitals, social workers and families directly. That’s 16 percent more than we received the year before. A donation today would enable us to help more of these new families.
When a family is told their child has a life threatening or terminal illness, their life is shattered into a million little pieces. Our Family Support Workers are there for all the family, offering help and support, however it is needed. Mums, dads, brothers, sisters and grandparents all benefit from our care, at any hour, of every day.
Rainbow Trust is the only charity offering this range of support to the whole family. With your amazing support we will be there for families from diagnosis, through treatment and beyond, whatever the outcome.
This year, Rainbow Trust celebrates 30 years of helping families with a seriously ill child. Our vision remains, that one day, all families of these sick children will have access to a Rainbow Trust carer. We will not stop until we have reached our goal. That will never change. Without the remarkable help of our supporters, we couldn’t reach any of these families. With more money, we can support families who are struggling to cope on their own.
Please donate today and help us be there for every family as soon as, and for as long as, they need us.
Warmest wishes
Bernadette Cleary, OBE
