Zoe’s Place Snowflake Appeal
No two snowflakes are the same. And no two children at Zoe’s Place are the same either.
Each has their own personality, their own little quirks, their own needs and their own story to tell.
This Christmas, we’re launching our Snowflake Christmas Appeal to celebrate what makes every child unique and to help ensure each child and their family receives the care, comfort and support they deserve.
Indie-Rose’s Story
“Zoe’s Place are a massive part of us healing and us staying together.”
Indie-Rose was the life of every room she walked into. But shortly before Christmas, her family received the devastating news that nothing more could be done.
As Sally remembers, “I remember Indie being laid there, she’d passed, and I thought, well, what do we do? Where do we go from here?”
A member of staff suggested contacting Zoe’s Place. Sally had never really heard of the hospice before, but when she reached out, the answer was immediate: yes.
Although Indie-Rose had never attended Zoe’s Place during her life, the hospice welcomed her after her passing, giving her family a peaceful place to say goodbye. Her brother and sister could visit, sing to her and spend time together, with a play area available if things became too overwhelming.
Zoe’s Place also continued to support Sally long after that first goodbye. Through our bereavement group, she has found a place where families understand one another, where memories are shared and where no one has to face grief alone.
“These things keep our children’s memory alive,” Sally says. “They keep us as families in check and make sure we’re okay. Because we never will be. None of us will ever be okay. But Zoe’s Place are a massive part of us healing and us staying together.”
Your donation this Christmas could help Zoe’s Place be there for families when they need it most; offering comfort, compassion and a place to turn when the unimaginable happens.
Frankie’s Story
“It just gives us that little bit of respite to go to the cinema, go out for dinner, go do something.”
Before Frankie was born, her parents knew nothing about the challenges that lay ahead. Suddenly, their lives were filled with hospital stays, appointments and the realities of caring for a child with complex medical needs.
Frankie and her mum both have myotonic dystrophy, a genetic condition that causes muscles to become progressively weaker. Caring for Frankie requires specialist knowledge and support, making it difficult for her parents to find someone who can safely look after her.
That’s where Zoe’s Place makes all the difference.
With fully trained nursing staff and the specialist care Frankie needs, her parents can feel confident that she is safe, happy and well looked after.
And that means something precious: time together as a couple, away from the constant responsibilities of caring.
“Zoe’s Place obviously being fully trained, full nursing staff, we feel comfortable knowing that she’s safe here. And it just gives us that little bit of respite to go to the cinema, go out for dinner, go do something.”
Last year, Zoe’s Place even cared for Frankie overnight so her parents could go to a concert, something they hadn’t been able to do together for several years. These may sound like little things, but for a family whose life revolves around complex care, they mean the world.
This Christmas, your generosity can help families like Frankie’s enjoy precious time together, knowing their child is in safe, expert hands.
Autumn’s Story
“Without the team at Zoe’s, our daughter wouldn’t be here.”
From the very beginning, Autumn’s journey has been far from straightforward. Born with a form of dwarfism and Pierre Robin sequence, she has complex medical needs and requires a highly specialised care plan.
When Autumn needed urgent medical intervention, the doctors told her family just how close they had come to losing her.
“Being told by the doctors that if she weren’t worked on as soon as she was, she wouldn’t have made it… that just shows how important they are and how vital the nurses are. They thought quickly enough and saved her. Without the team at Zoe’s, our daughter wouldn’t be here.”
Today, Zoe’s Place is so much more than respite for Autumn and her family. It is a nursery where she can learn and play, a place for physiotherapy and music therapy, and somewhere she is cherished, encouraged and loved.
And for Alex and her family, it means something just as important: the chance to take a step back from the demands of caring and simply be mum and dad.
As Alex explains, “Literally every penny helps. We can never give enough back for what they’ve given to us in saving her. They need all the support they can get from other people, so that they can keep doing such great things.”
This Christmas, your donation could help Zoe’s Place continue to provide the specialist care, love and support that families like Autumn’s depend on.
