Newlife the Charity for Disabled Children has seen an increase in calls to its nurse-run helpline from worried families seeking help over recent weeks as they struggle to get the support and equipment they need, often because of the huge strain being put on statutory services.

The charity, which is in its 30th year, is continuing to deliver specialist equipment to families with disabled and terminally ill children around the UK, all while operating in a much reduced capacity in line with nationwide government advice. It has now launched a £72,000 fundraising drive to ensure its nurse helpline and emergency equipment services can cope with demand over coming weeks.

In line with social distancing measures in place across the UK Newlife’s seven stores, which sell items donated by over 300 leading retailers and manufacturers across the UK and Europe that would otherwise be destined for landfill, are temporarily closed and many of the fundraising events supporters had pledged to take part in this year have been cancelled, leaving the families the charities support at risk. Newlife currently has 337 children on its waiting list needing equipment totalling £389,511.

To ensure it can continue to meet daily demand from families, Newlife today appealed to its loyal supporters who would usually visit one of the charity’s stores or fundraise for Newlife through organised events to find other ways of pledging support during this unprecedented time – perhaps by donating the money they would usually spend on their commute, lunch or frozen gym memberships while having to work from home. For ways to help, visit https://newlifecharity.co.uk/docs/static/EVlVFpVFEFWXvgmQlp.shtml

Newlife’s Consultant Nurse Karen Dobson said: “Many of the disabled children who need our help are at most risk of the effects of COVID-19. Whether it’s because they have an underlying health condition or 
because they cannot access already stretched essential health and social care services, it’s vital that they get the equipment and support they need to keep them safe – they need our help now more than ever. All of our free services are still running and delivering. Our dedicated team of nurses is continuing to run our helpline to provide important support to families. We are also still operating our emergency equipment loan service which provides equipment to keep children safe, free then from pain and allows them to leave hospital and go home. A lot of hospitals are currently trying to discharge children because they will be safer at home, but you can’t discharge a child without the equipment they will need. Newlife exists because, if it was your child you would want the best for them. Our appeal means everyone is being given the chance to change a vulnerable child's life for the better.”

One child Newlife has been able to help leave hospital in recent weeks is Rosie Harris from Essex. Newlife provided the emergency loan of a specialist adjustable cot for four-month-old Rosie to help her breathe and to be in a safe position while she sleeps – which meant she could also leave hospital to go home with her family after months and four different hospital stays since her birth. 
 
Rosie is just one of three people in the world diagnosed with a condition called Kilquist syndrome which has caused her intestinal and breathing difficulties so severe she has already endured two surgeries, was on a ventilator for five days at just three weeks old and has even needed CPR from her parents.
 
Now more stable, Rosie still needs to have a nebuliser every two hours as well as suctioning as she can’t remove her own secretions, and is fed continuously through a tube, but without a specialist cot at home to keep her at the right angle to help her breathe while she sleeps she couldn’t leave hospital.
 
Mum Charlotte said: “Rosie was in isolation in Basildon hospital due to her condition putting her at such high risk if she caught COVID-19, which was quite a worry. She’s actually safer at home, but they wouldn’t release us unless we had a specialist cot. Now Rosie and I are self-isolating with her dad Conor and Rosie is getting to know her three-year-old sister Gracie, for the first time properly as she wasn’t able to visit her in isolation. We are finally enjoying time together as a family and the emergency loan cot from Newlife is doing exactly what it should – helping Rosie’s breathing and keeping her in a safe position.”
 
Among its services, Newlife provides the UK’s only emergency equipment response service, getting equipment to children who need it the most anywhere in the UK within 72 hours. It also provides grants of equipment including specialist beds, seats, buggies and car seats to children, often when they are facing delays or difficulties accessing the equipment they need through statutory services.
For more information on the various ways you can support Newlife’s campaign, please visit https://newlifecharity.co.uk/docs/static/EVlVFpVFEFWXvgmQlp.shtml