Eckersley House is a great friend to have.

Eckersley House is a great friend to have.

It’s been twelve years since we first came to know Eckersley House and The Sick Children’s Trust. It’s been a long, friendship, filled with many happy memories in a time that could’ve easily been the opposite.

Childhood cancer is something we never thought could happen to our family. Both our twin boys were fit, active and healthy. But over the summer of 2006 Christopher, then nine, started to feel unwell with the odd headache and backache.

We took him to our GP several times and various tests were done but nothing was found. It wasn't until September, when Christopher deteriorated so badly, that he was rushed to Hull Royal Infirmary.

After several scans and further tests we knew something was seriously wrong. But there was nothing more our local hospital could do for Christopher. We were referred to Leeds General Infirmary (LGI) on 27 September 2006.

As Christopher and I got into the ambulance, ready to head down the M62 to Leeds, we waved goodbye to Christopher’s twin brother, Ashley, and Dad, Chris. Ashley and Christopher had hardly ever been apart and we could not imagine what lay ahead for Christopher and the rest of the family.

When the team at LGI looked at Christopher's scans, they decided the best option was to do a biopsy on Christopher's brain. The results came back to say there was a malignancy and we were being transferred to St. James' Hospital on the other side of Leeds.

Christopher began intensive courses of chemotherapy in November, followed by five weeks of twice-a-day radiotherapy for brain and spinal tumors. It wasn’t until we arrived at Leeds for this treatment that we realised just how far away we were from home. You think Hull is only 60 miles away, but we really felt the distance of each mile.

When we arrived at St James’ we were told about The Sick Children’s Trust and its ‘Home from Home’ Eckersley House. At that time, Eckersley House was located at St James’ and was just a few minutes’ walk away from the ward Christopher was on. It was our lifeline.

Eckersley House kept our family together. Ashely and his dad would come to stay at the house during the weekends and school holidays. This meant that our sons were not apart for weeks on ends, and they could play, laugh and cry together. It was the most important thing about Eckersley House.

We stayed at the ‘Home from Home’ a number of times while Christopher underwent treatment to beat cancer and it really changed our experience. Every time we went back we were welcomed by familiar faces. Jane, Caroline and Sheila would always give us a warm smile and offer us a cuppa. And they still do now!

What could’ve been such a sad and troubling time, ended up not being so. Now, we look back on those years with smiles on our faces because Eckersley House was there for us. Christopher would often come over to the house when he could and it was great for his wellbeing. There were other children he could play with, do a puzzle together and have a sense of normality.

We also spent many mornings cooking breakfast over in the house, spending time off the ward with Ashley, my sister, Brenda, and Chris. During these times we would meet other families, who we stayed in touch with for years as we had a bond that not many people have. It’s not just the distant from your home, and everyone you know, you just feel so cut off from everything. Having a seriously ill child in hospital is something that is incomparable. But at least being in Eckersley House, there were others there who felt things we felt.

The Sick Children's Trust is a remarkable charity and deserves all the help it can get. We have been going back to Eckersley House ever since that first stay, and the team there have seen Christopher grow from a boy into a young man. And for the last 12 years, he has been the ambassador for The Sick Children’s Trust for Hull. He’s so passionate about fundraising for the charity because it made hospital a less intimidating experience for him. And despite all the harsh treatment, our time spent in hospital was made bearable. And we look back on the time with positivity and happy memories.

We are just one family that Eckersley House has supported in its 25 years and we’re sure it will become a ‘Home from Home’ for many more families to come, providing them with a warm, safe place close to the hospital wards. We made some great friends in Leeds, but Eckersley House is our best friend.

Linda Bastiman, Christopher’s Mum

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Eckersley House kept my family together

I am so proud to be an ambassador for The Sick Children’s Trust. The charity kept my family together and by my side when I was in hospital. This alone means so much to me.

I underwent treatment in Leeds for a long time and often it would just be me and my Mum. But because of The Sick Children’s Trust’s ‘Home from Home’ Eckersley House, my brother, Ashley, and my Dad, Chris, were able to come and see me during the weekends because there was a room for them to stay in. It was amazing because even though I was far away from home, I could still see my family and being together helped us to support one another.

When I was eventually well enough to visit Eckersley House and see the place where my family were being looked after, it felt like a massive break from the ward. It was so different to the hospital. Just to watch television in the living room, play games or sit down on the settee with a cup of tea, chatting with my family. It was really nice. There were other kids in Eckersley House too and I remember one boy who had seen a big box of Rice Krispies which Mum had bought and he wanted some, so I shared them with him! His Mum was also staying at Eckersley House at the time, so from then on my Mum had another friend she could talk to.

Even though on the ward there were other children to speak to (I remember laughing with a lad about our rival football teams) nothing made me feel quite as relaxed as knowing my family were always close by at Eckersley House. Hull and Leeds aren’t many miles apart, but travelling that distance every single day to be at your child’s hospital bedside would’ve been too much for my family. Having a place to stay at Eckersley House meant we had much more family time than we ever would have if they needed to travel to see me every day.

Being in hospital wasn’t just hard on me, it was hard for Ashley too. Because I was ill, Mum’s attention was all on me. Eckersley House gave Ashley and Mum the opportunity to spend some quality time together, whether that was watching TV or playing a game.

Every time I go back to Eckersley House now, I really enjoy seeing Jane, Caroline and Sheila. Speaking to them I have happy memories of my time in hospital, instead of sad. I can’t thank Eckersley House enough for keeping my family together. I was in a situation that left me miles away from home, but I was never alone. I was far from alone. My family were just a stone’s throw away. Within an instant they could be by my side.

Being together as a family made my journey easier, and I know it did for my family too. I will continue to spread the word about The Sick Children’s Trust and the impact it has had on me and my family.

Christopher Bastiman