My Favourite Charity
Since my youngest daughter spent eight months in the Paediatric Unit at the National Rehabilitation Hospital Dunlaoire Co Dublin following a terrible accident in Vancouver on 17th August 2007 I have been closely associated with this very special childrens unit. Chloe had sustained a severe brain injury in a car accident in which my Mum died and we spent nearly three months in Vancouver in the terrific care of The Children’s Hospital and Sunny Hill rehabilitation hospital in Canada.
Chloe was Air ambulanced home to Dunlaoire and what followed was months of rehabilitation. The unit in Dublin is attached to the adult hospital and the facilities are woefully inadequate. The staff however are first world. They operate without the resources they need in order to provide an holistic approach to families and children whose lives have been turned upside down due to Brain Injury.
There are children of all ages in the hospital which only has one eight bed ward with no room for parents to sleep near their children. Teenagers have no dedicated space or computers to use when they aren’t in therapy sessions. Parents have no space to go and share experiences or cook themeselves something to eat.
Up to last year there was no Music Therapist, now due to our fundraising we have one and the addition of Music Therapy as an addition to the other traditional therapies has been warmly greeted in the hospital both from Parents and professional staff. It is my wish that through the efforts of a dedicated group of like minded fundraisers we can continue to have the Music Therapist and also provide other very necessary additions to the unit.
If you would like to help in any way please get in touch with me, nickyharris@ireland.com
Thank You,
Nicky
