Heather Roberts, Senior Play Practitioner with Tŷ Hafan talks about the organisation’s work with partners and how other WCVA members can get involved.
Imagine knowing that your child will die before you. This is the unimaginable reality that thousands of families across Wales face every day.
At Tŷ Hafan, we believe that no family should have to cope with this alone. That’s why we are here. Our mission is to make sure that every family in Wales with a child with a life-shortening condition is not alone.
OUR WORK
For many seriously ill children, nothing is straightforward. Community spaces are often inaccessible, which can leave whole families feeling excluded and children missing out on the fun and stimulation they need.
Providing holistic care, our multi-disciplinary team focusses on the physical, emotional, social and spiritual needs of families to truly transform their lives.
We use specialist techniques, technology and facilities to help children communicate and engage with the world around them and help families to have fun and make memories together, always focussing on what they can do, not what they can’t.
WORKING WITH OTHERS
When families come to Tŷ Hafan, often that is the only time they’re able to play together inclusively. Accessible facilities like our hydrotherapy pool, our playground and our library of adapted toys give children the freedom to enjoy play and connect with their families.
As a charity, we rely on the generosity of our donors to carry out our work, but it’s not solely monetary support that helps us to be there for the families who count on us.
We work closely with a range of not-for-profit organisations to give families the best possible experiences, including Lifelites, Touch Trust, Make a Smile and Cariad Pet Therapy.
Having input from a variety of other service providers means that we can offer an exciting programme of activities throughout the week. This means we can cater to the different young people who make use of the hospice and offer a child-centred play service.
Two lifechanging facilities brought to Tŷ Hafan through partnerships with other providers are the Eyegaze Edge, which was donated to us by Lifelites, and our regular visits from therapy dogs provided by Cariad Pet Therapy.
TRANSFORMING COMMUNICATION WITH EYEGAZE EDGE
When Lifelites donated the incredible Eyegaze Edge to us, we knew it would be an accessibility and inclusivity powerhouse. Eyegaze Edge is a type of assistive technology that helps children with limited mobility interact with the world just by moving their eyes.
It uses eye movements to type or click on a screen with its eye tracking camera. When the person using the Eyegaze Edge looks at the screen, they can select different keys, which are a bit like keys on a laptop. It has a speech generation feature, games and access to websites and apps.
Children can use this equipment to make ‘yes’ or ‘no’ decisions or choose what they would like to do that day. For children who aren’t able to speak and have very limited mobility, being able to make a decision is simply a new experience and it gives a big boost to their self-esteem and independence.
BELLA, IDRIS AND ASA – THE THERAPY DOGS BRINGING JOY TO TŶ HAFAN
It is an absolute pleasure to work with Cariad Pet Therapy on a regular basis, a not-for-profit organisation that brings three gorgeous therapy dogs named Bella, Idris and Asa into our hospice every week.
Idris is a seven-year-old Labradoodle who loves people. Louise, Idris’ owner, told us: ‘A dog has to have the right temperament to become a therapy dog, and Idris is very good at gazing into your soul.
‘He’s non-judgemental and he seems to know just how to give support to everyone he meets, whether they’re a tiny baby, a child, a teenager or an adult.
‘Recently, one of the teenagers staying at Tŷ Hafan sent me a message saying she was feeling down and that she wanted to see Idris. So, we popped in to see her. Idris laid down on her bed and they slept for half an hour – it was exactly what she needed.’
The children and young people who visit the hospice get a calm and soothing presence from Idris, Bella and Asa – and it’s not just hospice-based support that they provide. The dogs have been known to accompany the children and young people to hospital appointments, too!
You can learn more about Tŷ Hafan Children’s Hospice and the support we offer children families.
COULD YOU SUPPORT TŶ HAFAN?
We are always open to exploring new equipment and activities from all kinds of providers. If you would like to work with Tŷ Hafan, please get in touch with Heather Roberts by emailing heather.roberts@tyhafan.org.