Advertising Feature
An advertising feature is created, supplied and paid for by a commercial client and promoted by the Irish Times Content Studio. The Irish Times newsroom or other editorial departments are not involved in the production of advertising features.

Making wishes come true; helping get kids home from hospital for Christmas

Children’s Health Foundation launches its annual Christmas Wishes appeal, inviting companies to support sick children

Born with severe health issues, Sophie Mulligan, aged 2, spent the first 17 months of her life in hospital. This will be her first Christmas at home with her parents, Alan and Melissa. Photograph: Eamonn Doody
Born with severe health issues, Sophie Mulligan, aged 2, spent the first 17 months of her life in hospital. This will be her first Christmas at home with her parents, Alan and Melissa. Photograph: Eamonn Doody
Mon Dec 02 2024 - 05:00

With Christmas drawing closer, excitement is building for children up and down the country — everywhere they go they see beautiful twinkling lights, hear familiar carols, and are reminded that the season of giving and celebration is with us once again.

For sick children and their families, however, the festive period may contain a good deal of worry and uncertainty. Some may be anxiously waiting for a diagnosis. Others are in the midst of lengthy programmes of treatment or therapy. Many are also facing the prospect of spending Christmas away from home, in a hospital bed.

To give much-needed support to these children and families, and to bring some joy into their Christmas, Children’s Health Foundation has launched its annual Christmas Wishes appeal — inviting companies to support sick children this Christmas

By generously giving anything from a Kind Wish (€1,000) to a Compassionate Wish (€10,000), businesses of all sizes can help provide world-class care for sick children and their families in Children’s Health Ireland hospitals. These donations will not only spread comfort and joy to the young patients within these hospitals, but they can also — wherever possible — help get kids home for Christmas.

READ MORE
Sophie Mulligan had several vital surgeries during the 17 months she spent in hospital — the first being a tracheostomy, to help her breathe, when she was just five weeks old. She would go on to have both open-heart surgery and cleft palate surgery
Sophie Mulligan had several vital surgeries during the 17 months she spent in hospital — the first being a tracheostomy, to help her breathe, when she was just five weeks old. She would go on to have both open-heart surgery and cleft palate surgery

This support could help more children like Sophie — who, at the age of two and a half, is about to spend her first Christmas at home.

When Sophie was born, she had a number of serious health issues that made it difficult for her to breathe, to eat, and to grow. As soon as the severity of her medical situation was clear, she was transferred to Children’s Health Ireland at Crumlin, where she would spend the next 17 months of her life.

During her long stay, encompassing not just her first Christmas but her second one as well, Sophie had several vital surgeries — the first being a tracheostomy, to help her breathe, when she was just five weeks old. She would go on to have both open-heart surgery and cleft palate surgery, all while under the care of multiple teams of caring, highly trained medical experts. The majority of her stay was spent in the Transitional Care Unit (TCU), where she was prepared to make the move back home.

This experience was a stressful one for Sophie’s parents — Melissa and Alan — but they also took great solace in knowing that their baby girl was in the best possible hands in Children’s Health Ireland at Crumlin. “The care and support Sophie received, and us as a family, was nothing short of amazing. The staff couldn’t have done enough for her,” says Melissa. “The doctors, nurses, physiotherapists, occupational therapists, speech and language team, play specialists, music therapists, and most of all our TCU family — they’re all incredible.”

Illness and injury don’t take a break for Christmas. Sophie may be spending the festive season at home, but there are hundreds of other children with serious medical needs who may not be. For them, and for their loved ones, the medical teams in Children’s Health Ireland will be doing all they can, through Christmas and on into the new year, to ensure every sick child like Sophie gets every chance.

Powering all this important work will be donations made by companies taking part in the Christmas Wishes appeal.

“The compassionate companies who come forward with donations and stand with us over Christmas are an invaluable, essential part of our work throughout the year,” says Nessa O’Reilly, head of strategic giving, Children’s Health Foundation. “This Christmas, we’re asking our supporters to help us be there for sick children every single day — and wherever possible to get them home for Christmas. Every bit of this work is driven forward by the gifts we receive during the festive season.”

Each donation given will have a huge impact — whether by funding vital life-saving equipment, by providing essential support to patients and parents alike, or by making ground-breaking paediatric research possible.

“Children’s Health Foundation is dedicated to funding the very best in paediatric research,” says O’Reilly. “We know that the breakthroughs of tomorrow will only be possible through pioneering and meticulous work being done today. Over the last year, we have supported 64 research grants, supporting teams who are looking to deepen our understanding of everything from leukaemia to congenital heart disease. Treatments and even cures may well emerge from this research, and none of it would be possible without companies stepping up and being part of the Christmas Wishes appeal.”

In addition to helping to transform the lives of sick children and their families, donors to the Christmas Wishes appeal will receive a range of thank you gifts — as an expression of gratitude from Children’s Health Foundation. These gifts include printable posters, special email signatures and social media graphics, as well as the business being featured and thanked on the charity’s website. Companies who give at the higher donation levels will also have their logo included in a dedicated Christmas Wishes ad in The Sunday Times in early January.

Sophie has been through a lot, but since she finally left the hospital and returned home in January of this year, she has come on in leaps and bounds. “She is thriving — it’s like a light switch has been turned on,” says mum Melissa. “She’s very affectionate, very cuddly, and loves to be around people and listening to their conversations. She’s been so brave in all she’s overcome, but nothing’s fazed her — she’s just all smiles. She makes our day every day.”

Melissa has seen first-hand the impact of generous donations to Children’s Health Foundation. “With a sick child, you don’t know whose door it is going to come to, it could be one of your family or friends. We certainly didn’t know it would come to our door. Every donation no matter how big or small helps. I’ve seen how the donations helped Sophie with supports, gifts, and equipment. This funding is very special to us, and something we won’t forget.”

With so many sick children and their families in need of the very best in medical care over the Christmas period and beyond, Children’s Health Foundation is hoping that companies will join with them — with gift levels starting at just €1,000 — so that they can be there for every sick child every day.

Any companies interested in learning more about supporting Children’s Health Foundation this Christmas are invited to call Mark on 01 709 1700 or to email christmaswishes@childrenshealth.ie. There is also more information available — including a full list of the giving levels and their respective thank-you gifts — on the appeal’s website.

If you would like to find out more about how you can support sick children and their families, simply visit childrenshealth.ie or call 01 709 1700.