Six-year-old's story highlights support from children's hospice
Six-year-old Sam, who has a rare heart condition, benefits from specialist care and support at Acorns in Walsall
A six-year-old boy from Sutton Coldfield living with a rare and serious heart condition is helping to highlight the importance of childhood experiences for seriously ill children as Acorns Children's Hospice launches a new fundraising campaign.
Sam was born with hypoplastic left heart syndrome, a condition affecting the development of the heart's left side. He has undergone three open-heart surgeries and multiple other cardiac procedures.
His health can change quickly, and he continues to experience severe fatigue and other complications, meaning family celebrations and holidays often have to be planned at short notice.
Despite the challenges, Sam enjoys many of the things other children his age love, including superheroes and Lego.
His dad, Matt, describes him as their “little superhero”.
“When he's not in the hospital, he's fun and cheeky. He's like a normal six-year-old who loves his superheroes and Lego,” he said.
“He wants to be out there running, playing football, and joining in with his brother, he's just very limited. But, for what he goes through, the courage he shows, and his strength, he is definitely our little superhero.”
At Acorns Children's Hospice in Walsall, Sam can enjoy activities including time in the sensory room and play therapy, while the hospice's support gives his family time together away from the pressures of medical care.
The support also extends to Sam's older brother, Noah, who has benefited from sibling activities, including a surprise VIP trip to Walsall Football Club.
The family says this has helped ensure Noah has opportunities of his own while his younger brother's health needs require so much attention.
Sam's story is helping inspire Acorns' first-ever Be a Kid Week, which aims to highlight the importance of allowing seriously ill children to enjoy childhood despite the challenges they face.
The initiative forms part of Acorns Time Machine, the hospice's largest fundraising campaign, which aims to raise £5 million to help give seriously ill children more time to enjoy being children.
Uzma Shaheen, senior community partnerships manager at Acorns Children's Hospice, said: “Families at Acorns deserve the chance to be just that – families! Through Acorns Time Machine, we give families time for the important stuff while we take care of the serious stuff.
“Every donation allows a child to be more than a patient. They can be a rocket ship captain, a fairy princess, a treasure hunter, a space wizard. And, just as importantly, it gives parents a chance to be simply mum and dad and enjoy childhood adventures together as a family.”
Acorns Children's Hospice provides specialist palliative care for babies, children and young people with life-limiting or life-threatening conditions, as well as support for their families.
Over the past year, the charity cared for more than 800 children across the West Midlands and supported more than 1,100 families, including bereaved families. Its services are delivered at hospices in Birmingham, Walsall and Worcester, as well as in family homes and local communities.
Acorns needs around £40,000 a day to provide its care, with more than 75% of its funding coming from donations, fundraising and income from its charity shops.