A £55,000 grant from Sutton Coldfield’s oldest charity will help Acorns Children’s Hospice provide vital support to more seriously ill children and their families across the Royal Town.
Image: Matt, Karen, Noah and Sam Cross are just one family from Sutton Coldfield who have benefitted from the support and care of Acorns.
Sutton Coldfield Charitable Trust (SCCT) has awarded the funding to Acorns, with the grant expected to directly benefit 50 local people – including an estimated 13 children with life-limiting or life-threatening conditions and 37 parents, siblings and other family members.
Among the Sutton Coldfield families who know just how important that support can be are six-year-old Sam Cross and his parents, Matt and Karen.
Sam was born with a rare and complex form of hypoplastic left heart syndrome (HLHS), which affects the development of the left side of the heart and the way blood flows around the body.
He has already undergone three major open-heart operations, as well as numerous other procedures to manage complications caused by his condition.
His parents were initially told there was no guarantee he would survive, but Sam has continued to defy expectations.
Today, he is a fun-loving, cheeky six-year-old who loves superheroes, Lego and being outdoors. However, his heart condition causes extreme tiredness and places significant limits on what he is able to do.
The Sutton Coldfield family first discovered Acorns when Sam was around two years old.
He now visits Acorns’ hospice in Walsall, where he receives specialist care from an expert team who understand his complex medical needs.
For Matt and Karen, it provides the reassurance of knowing their son is in safe hands. For Sam, it is somewhere away from home where he feels comfortable, secure and able to enjoy himself.
Acorns also supports Sam’s older brother, Noah. Being the sibling of a seriously ill child can mean experiencing family life very differently from friends, and the hospice gives Noah the opportunity to talk, feel understood and know he is not alone.
Matt said: “The care and support Acorns provides are invaluable, both for Sam and for Noah.
“Sam’s illness limits him in everything he wants to do. He wants to be out there running, playing football and joining in with his brother, but his condition means he’s very limited.
“It’s a huge credit to Acorns that Sam feels so comfortable there. Being away from home is very difficult for him, so knowing he is in such safe hands is amazing.
“Some of the things they have done for Noah have been life-changing too. He’ll have those memories for the rest of his life.
“We’re incredibly grateful to Acorns for everything they do, the joy they bring and the opportunities they provide that some children would never otherwise experience.”
Welcoming the £55,000 grant, Matt added: “Acorns has made such a difference to us as a family, so knowing they’re receiving this funding from Sutton Coldfield Charitable Trust to support more families in Sutton is incredible.
“You don’t realise how much a place like Acorns can mean until you need it. This funding will give more families the chance to receive the same support and create the same precious memories and experiences that we’ve been lucky enough to have.”
Jodie Yardley, Trusts Manager at Acorns Children’s Hospice, said: “Stories like Sam’s show exactly why our specialist children’s hospice care matters.
“For families like Sam’s, Acorns can provide expert care and support while creating space for the things that make childhood so special – spending time together, making memories and simply being a family.
“It costs around £40,000 every day to provide our care, so generous support from organisations like Sutton Coldfield Charitable Trust is incredibly important.
“Their £55,000 grant will help us be there for more children and families across Sutton Coldfield, giving them precious time together and more opportunities to enjoy the things that matter most.”
Claire Evans, Chief Executive of SCCT, said: “Sam’s story brings home just how important the specialist support provided by Acorns can be for a child and their whole family.
“Our purpose is to use our resources to make a meaningful difference to the lives of people across the Royal Town, particularly when they are facing some of life’s greatest challenges.
“Acorns provides exceptional care not only for seriously ill children, but also vital support and reassurance for their parents, brothers and sisters. We are delighted that this £55,000 grant will directly benefit 50 people from Sutton Coldfield and help ensure local families can access that support when they need it most.”
