When you have a child with a life-shortening condition, it’s hard to find enough time in the day to juggle your child’s care and appointments with tasks like tidying up the garden.
Our ambition is that when a child’s life will be short, no family should have to live it on their own. Because 90% of families in Wales who have a child with a life-shortening condition are living without the support of a children’s hospice, we urgently need to reach more families in their homes and communities. That’s why last year we launched our Family Support Volunteer initiative.
This initiative brings volunteers into family homes and local areas, helping them with tasks like gardening, cleaning, DIY, life admin and, depending on the family’s needs, befriending or accompanying families on day trips to be an extra pair of hands.
The garden is one area that can get out of hand when you’re caring for a child with a life-shortening condition. It’s difficult to spend time in an overgrown garden and seeing it is a reminder of another job that needs doing on top of caring for a child with complex needs.
Although it can seem like a small thing, spending time in the garden is great for our mental health and wellbeing. Studies show that being in nature can reduce stress and anxiety. For families with a child who has a life-shortening condition, having a garden that isn’t overgrown where they can spend time, when the opportunity arises, can make a huge difference in their lives.
One family who has had garden support through the Family Support Volunteer initiative is Mared’s.
A photo of Mared in the art and craft room at Tŷ Hafan
Mared’s mum, Eirian said that when they had visitors, she’d always say “Sorry about the mess, don’t look at the garden”. Mared’s dad, Darren added that, “We’ve been trying to do something with that garden for years. Plans go out the window because of hospital visits. You can’t plan ahead.”
Some of our Family Support Volunteer gardeners, the Greenspace SOS team, visited the family to help clear their garden and get them back on track.
“They were so lovely and listened to my woes.” said Eirian. “We’ve got no time, even something as basic as 30 minutes in the garden. Mared’s health issues make it difficult to do simple things. It’s hard to get out because there’s so much to do.”
Reflecting on how she felt when she saw the results of the Family Support Volunteer gardeners’ work, Eirian said her first thought was just, “Woah”.
“I was blown away.” said Eirian. “It’s just a small thing but it’s huge for me as a parent carer to a vulnerable child who can be up and down. Some days we don’t leave Mared’s bedroom. There’s no time to do the simplest tasks”
Eirian shared that the view from Mared’s bedroom is the garden, so the whole family would see it every day. “It’s one less thing to worry about. Our neighbours have lovely gardens, ours was a jungle of bramble and trees.”
“It was so lovely and came just at the right time. To me it was huge. I was smiling all day”.
Interested in the Family Support Volunteer initiative?
If you’re a Tŷ Hafan family member who wants to find out more about this project, email debbie.allison@tyhafan.org.
Are you looking for a meaningful way to make a difference in the lives of local families facing unimaginable challenges? If that’s you, click here to learn more about our Family Support Volunteering roles.