Date published: 11 September 2015 by Anna Jackson

This Grandparents Day I want to shine a light on the immense contribution Grandparents make supporting families today, especially those with a seriously ill child.

When a family is faced with having a child who is life threatened or terminally ill, every member of the family is placed under unimaginable pressure. For Grandparents the grief and pressure is often twofold, as they watch their child in a crisis that they cannot fix, all the while feeling the pain of seeing their precious grandchild so unwell.

The strength, selflessness and courage these grandparents show every day makes them truly remarkable. So my message to those grandparents is this:

‘You are amazing, and you deserve this day to celebrate the very special relationship with your grandchildren and recognise all that you have achieved in supporting your family through this time. You are not forgotten, your hard work and the emotional burden you tirelessly carry does not go unnoticed and I’d like to add my thanks to you all.

To help Rainbow Trust support more grandparents with emotional and practical help donate online at rainbowtrust.org.uk/donate or call 01372 220086.

Anne Harris, Director of Care at Rainbow Trust