Nearing the end of a harrowing three-year cancer battle, the last thing the Rees family needed was to have Christmas taken away too.
But thanks to the incredible CLIC Sargent Homes From Home, 13-year-old Jake was able to open his gifts and eat a family dinner on December 25 last year surrounded by his nearest and dearest.
And all despite being on an isolation ward more than 160 miles from home.
Jake’s mum, Kathryn, told us: “Cancer crushes a family in a way you only understand if you’ve lived it. Without a Home From Home just minutes from Jake’s bedside, I don’t know how we’d have coped.
“Christmas was kept special… we will be eternally grateful.”
Diagnosed with leukaemia in 2016 aged just 11, Jake relapsed in August last year and needed a life-saving stem cell transplant.
His younger brother Daniel was a perfect match – but the intensive radiotherapy, transplant and recovery process gave no hope of Christmas at home.
Living at Holywell Bay, Cornwall, they were a six-hour round trip from Bristol Children’s Hospital. Kathryn, 44, said: “We simply couldn’t have afforded to rent a flat in Bristol for the five months we needed to be there.
“Anyway, the family room we had at CLIC House was so much more than basic accommodation. The facilities were impeccable, with communal areas to share stories with other families.
“And it was just a stone’s throw from the hospital. We even had a big Christmas party there, with presents put under the tree for all of us. The thought and care we got were simply incredible.”
Jake had his transplant on December 14, and had to stay in isolation for weeks afterwards because his immune system was so low. Kathryn and her parents had Christmas dinner in the room with him, with Father Christmas walking past outside and carols being sung.
Kathryn said: “Jake’s treatment meant he felt terrible. For us to be so close by meant what would have been a stressful time was actually rather special.
“As a parent you want to be strong for your child. If you’re tired or too immersed in it, you simply can’t do that.
"We also met other families with children going through similar journeys, and sharing stories really helped us all cope.”
With Jake now well, this Christmas was extra special for the family. Kathryn said: “This year we have had a lovely family Christmas at home. We are very thankful that we are all able to be together as we know that things could have been very different.”
“We urge Sunday Mirror readers to dig deep to help. Families like ours will forever be in debt to the charity for its help in our darkest hour.”
How to donate
Just £5 can help stop cancer cancelling Christmas for young patients and their families – and the Morrisons Foundation will match readers’ donations pound for pound, up to a total of £25,000.
To donate £5 or more online, go to clicsargent.org.uk/xmas or make cheques payable to “CLIC Sargent” and send with your name and address to:
Sunday Mirror Christmas Appeal
CLIC Sargent
126 Fairlie Road
Slough, SL1 4PY (Please use a stamp)
To donate by phone, call 0300 330 0803 (Monday – Friday, 8am-6pm).
You can also donate by text using these codes.
GIVE 5 to 70025 to donate £5
GIVE 10 to 70025 to donate £10
GIVE 20 to 70025 to donate £20
T&Cs:
Texts cost either £5, £10 or £20, plus one standard network rate message.
CLIC Sargent will receive 100% of your donation.
To opt out of calls, text NOCALL CLIC to 78866.
To opt out of SMS, text NOSMS CLIC to 78866.
Texts will be charged at your network’s standard message charge.
For queries, call CLIC Sargent on 0300 330 0803.
Registered charity number 1107328 and registered in Scotland SC039857.
Become a stamp champ
In the build-up to Christmas, CLIC Sargent is calling on Sunday Mirror readers to be a ‘stamp champ’ and collect used stamps to help raise funds.
Carefully cut yours out and send to: Stamp Champ, CLIC Sargent, Unit 6, Abbey Wood Business Park, Filton, Bristol, BS34 7JU.
