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Julia’s House children’s hospice provides frequent respite for children with life-limiting conditions. Thanks to medical advances, more and more of these young people are surviving into adulthood – we want to support teens as they go through tough challenges and face up to their declining health.
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Beneficiaries
Situation
Thanks to medical advances, more and more life-limited children reach young adulthood. We support a group of teens and pre-teens who are cognitively aware but have degenerative conditions (e.g. Duchenne muscular dystrophy) that steadily erode their independence. Being a teenager is challenging – but imagine that you’re also in a wheelchair and know that your condition will deteriorate. Without support, these teens are isolated, at risk of bullying and may feel like simply giving up on life.
Solution
Our nurses & carers are helping these teens to form a close-knit, supportive ‘Teen Gang’ based at our hospices - a chance for lonely teens to meet up at their own Youth Club, make friends and face the future together. They plan and carry out fun activities like wheelchair football, making films, cinema trips, animal encounters and pizza feasts. Going out as a group, all in wheelchairs, they can enjoy shared experiences. When things get tough, they have a network of friends to help them cope.