Henry Hutchinson

In mid-December 2020, at just 6 months old, Henry Hutchinson contracted a rare bacterial form of Meningitis and after a short stay in Medway Maritime Hospital where the initial diagnosis took place, he was very quickly transferred to King’s College Hospital London as an extremely poorly boy.

This very serious event early in Henry’s life couldn’t have come at a worse time as the country was in full COVID lockdown, which greatly restricted a family’s ability to visit and provide support for their loved ones in care. In the case of Henry’s parents Chis and Nic, only one of them was allowed to be with Henry in the Hospital at a time; this was made more difficult as they weren’t aware of any respite accommodation for them near to the hospital. Fortunately, they were put in contact with Ronald McDonald House Charities, who found them a place to stay at Camberwell House until the end of January 2021 when Henry was eventually discharged.

I’m delighted to say that despite numerous complications and several operations during his time at King’s College Hospital, Henry pulled through and is now a very lively and inquisitive 4-year-old who started school last September. Although the illness left Henry profoundly deaf, doctors managed to successfully provide him with one cochlear implant, which is helping him enjoy a reasonably normal and fulfilled life.

For my part, I retired from work in May last year and apart from the usual DIY projects, I generally have plenty of spare time on my hands for other pursuits and interests. One such interest that has been dormant in recent years is road cycling and after a gap of just over 10 years, I took part in the Land’s End to John O’Groats cycle challenge for a second time, which I’m glad to say after some intense preparation, was successfully completed over 10 days last August. Have I got the cycling bug back again, or do I really miss the challenge and beautiful scenery that mainland UK has to offer? Well, maybe both, but as an alternative to the usual end-to-end route, I’ve now signed up for the Dover to Durness cycle challenge, which will be a slightly more sedate 13-day endeavour (albeit a 950 mile ride) and takes place in July this year.

However, what really inspires me to undertake this latest challenge is the circumstances surrounding Henry’s story and the thousands of other sick children like him and the effect this has had on their families. The support that Ronald McDonald House Charities provides for families at such incredibly difficult times is truly wonderful, and it is for this reason that I would be most grateful of any sponsorship you could give to support me and many others to help maintain these essential facilities throughout the UK.

In anticipation of your kind support, I thank you.

David

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Ronald McDonald House Charities UK provides free ‘home away from home’ accommodation to families with children having treatment in hospital.

Our Houses offer much more than just a place to stay; they provide family activities, peer support, respite, and many other services. This means that families can be by their child’s bedside in a matter of moments, whilst maintaining a degree of normal life with reduced emotional and financial strain.

We help over 6,000 families each year and now, more than ever, we need your support. Thank you.