Naomi House & Jacksplace are hospices for children and young adults with life limiting conditions and life threatening conditions.

One of the hundreds of children supported by Naomi House is Joe, who is the son of some close friends of ours. Kristina used to work with Joe and his family as one of Joe’s Personal Assistants. Joe suffered a stroke before he was born and as a result, he has multiple complex needs and many health issues. He is a calm, content 11 year old who loves loud music, parties, hydrotherapy and feeling the breeze on his skin. He lives in Alton with his parents and his 2 younger brothers.

Since Joe was 6 years old, he and his family have been receiving respite care, community play sessions and symptom-management support from the Naomi House team. In 2023, when Joe’s health was particularly fragile and no-one knew if he would recover from recurrent chest infections and hospital stays, Naomi House stepped in to offer 2 months of emergency care. His family were able to stay there in one of the NH family flats, while Joe received round-the-clock dedicated care. Amazingly, Joe defied the odds and was able to leave the hospice to return home in November 2023. He has been back at school since February 2024!

Joe’s mum says that this quote sums up what hospice care means…

“ Hospice care is everything you’d expect… And everything you wouldn’t.

It’s finality and uncertainty, brave faces and shedding tears. It’s short days and long nights. Living for now with the weight of tomorrow.

But it’s also love and life and celebration. It’s going the extra mile, doing away with convention and remembering what really matters. “

In order to continue to provide this incredible level of support, Naomi House need to raise around £10 million each year, with less than 11% of income coming from the Government and other statutory bodies. They rely on the generosity of people in the community like yourself to continue its work. Your support enables the charity to provide these crucial care services, free of charge, to children, young adults and their families, so thank you so much!