Lancashire childhood cancer support charity receives £1,000 boost
Milly’s Smiles has received a £1,000 donation from Barratt Homes to support Lancashire children who have been diagnosed with cancer, as well as their families.
The charity, located near the housebuilder’s Bernets Nook development in Feniscowles, was set up to support children and their families at the point they arrive on a hospital oncology ward for the first time, after dealing with a life-changing diagnosis.
Lorraine Wilson, Founder and CEO of Milly’s Smiles, said: “Barratt Homes’ donation will directly help us continue providing Milly Bags to families across our seven partner hospitals. Support like this genuinely helps us continue reaching families at the moment they need us most.
“A Milly Bag is a large holdall containing both essential, practical items and comforting items. Our bags tell families that someone cares about them and truly understands what they are going through.
“As a small charity largely run by volunteers, support from organisations like Barratt Homes makes a huge difference to what we can do.”
Milly’s Smiles was founded in memory of Lorraine’s daughter, Milly. Milly was diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukaemia at 11 years of age. She was initially diagnosed at Blackburn Hospital before being quickly transferred to The Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital with only the clothes she was wearing.
The family remained in the hospital for six weeks before being allowed home. During those six weeks, Milly underwent numerous rounds of chemotherapy, surgery and blood transfusions, and became extremely poorly.
Lorraine continued: “We initially began by supporting Manchester Children’s Hospital and, over the last 10 years, have expanded to support seven of the 16 major children’s hospitals across the country: Manchester, Liverpool, Leeds, Nottingham, “Newcastle, Oxford and Cambridge. Each bag costs us £140 to produce and, to date, we have supplied 2,580 bags at a cost of £361,200.
“We rely entirely on fundraising, donations and grants to fund our work. Our annual reach is approximately 700 families at a cost of around £98,000 per year.”
Milly’s Smiles support has become vital to newly diagnosed families. Families tell the charity that receiving a Milly Bag is one of the very first moments they feel seen and cared for after diagnosis.
Lorraine added: “A childhood cancer diagnosis happens suddenly and families are immediately plunged into survival mode. Parents can spend weeks or months living on hospital wards, emotionally exhausted and separated from normal life.
“Whilst a Milly Bag cannot change what is happening, it provides comfort, practicality and reassurance at a time when families feel that their entire world has collapsed. It lets them know that somebody understands and that they are not facing this journey alone.”
Rhys Nicholson, Managing Director at Barratt Homes Manchester, said: “We are very proud to support Milly’s Smiles. It is a charity with an incredibly large heart that is reaching out to support people going through the most difficult times of their lives and trying to make it a bit brighter.
“We hope our donation can help provide comfort and a small piece of joy to families and children suffering from a challenging situation.”
To learn more about the charity and read testimonials on those who have benefited from the charity's efforts, visit the website at Milly’s Smiles.
For information about the housebuilder, visit the website at Barratt Homes in Lancashire.