A GRATEFUL couple from Leamington will be walking 100 miles between two children’s hospitals to say thank you for caring for their son.
Sam and Amber Turner’s 20-month-old son, Lochlan, was born with Tetralogy of Fallots, a complex cardiac condition, and has already undergone two heart surgeries.
While Lochlan was receiving treatment at Birmingham Children’s Hospital, Sam and Amber were able to stay at Ronald McDonald House Birmingham – a purpose-built free ‘home away from home’ for families, just minutes away from the hospital building.
They are now planning to say thank you for the support they received by undertaking a four-day sponsored walk from Great Ormond Street Hospital to Birmingham Children’s Hospital starting on August 2.
Sam said “Due to complications with his surgery, Lochlan was in hospital for over a month. As new parents we were desperate to be at his side, but we live an hour away from the hospital and paying for hotels just wasn’t feasible. Thankfully Ronald McDonald House was able to offer us a room and allowed us to focus all our attention on our baby boy. We are likely to need to call on their services again as Lochlan will need further surgery in the future, so we are keen to give back as much as we can.”
Sam and Amber are hoping to raise £5,000, the amount needed to sponsor a bedroom at a Ronald McDonald House for 12 months.
Sam added: “Taking on a challenge like this to raise funds is quite daunting, but we feel it is the least we can do to give back to an organisation that helped us through one of the most difficult times of our lives. We want to make sure other families in our position are able to get the same support.”
Ronald McDonald House Charities UK is an independent charity, which operates 14 houses across England, Wales, and Scotland, providing free ‘home away from home’ accommodation. The houses keep families together, close to their children in hospital. They provide a place to sleep, cook and retain some sense of normal life – a lifeline for families at a very stressful time, especially when they are far from home. A Ronald McDonald House saves each family an average of £1,240 in out-of-pocket accommodation expenses.
Justine Cleary, Community Fundraiser for Ronald McDonald House said: “We are truly grateful to Sam and Amber for going the extra mile to raise funds for Ronald McDonald House Charities UK. Their determination to help other families with children in hospital is humbling and we look forward to welcoming them back to our house at the end of their walk. We’ll definitely have the kettle on.”
To donate visit www.justgiving.com/fundraising/sam-turner33
