Enjoy a teddy bears' picnic to support The Sick Children's Trust

A grateful mum is holding a fun-filled family day to raise money for The Sick Children’s Trust, the charity which supported her family while her new-born son was seriously ill in hospital.

Diane Smith, 35, will be holding a Teddy Bears’ Picnic on Saturday 6 August in Mulbarton, Norfolk, in a bid to raise money for The Sick Children’s Trust in order to thank them for providing her family free support and ‘Home from Home’ accommodation when their baby son was in hospital.

In August 2015, Diane gave birth to her son Samson by caesarean after just 26 weeks of pregnancy, and baby Samson weighed less than one kilogram. Because of his prematurity, he fell ill with bronchiolitis at just a few weeks old, and had to be moved to Addenbrooke’s Hospital in Cambridge for specialist treatment, over an hour away from their home in Norwich. Samson’s parents Diane and Dan, and brother George, were able to stay just a few minutes away from the intensive care unit at The Sick Children’s Trust’s ‘Home from Home’ Acorn House, so they were able to be at Samson’s side at a moment’s notice.

Now Diane wants to thank The Sick Children’s Trust. She has organised a family day including a raffle, face painting and visits from Norfolk Constabulary Mounted Police and a Norfolk Fire and Rescue Service vehicle. Diane, who chose to hold the event as a celebration for Samson’s first birthday, says:

“I am excited for the event and I hope we can raise lots of money for this wonderful charity. With family fairground style games, a raffle with prizes worth over £750, and a best-dressed teddy bear competition, it will be a really fun family day. It will be a great way to thank The Sick Children’s Trust and Acorn House for the huge support they provided.

“Acorn House was a haven when we were going through the worst part of our lives. Staying there allowed me and my family to rest properly and keep up some strength, so that we could be there for Samson and for each other. Nothing was ever expected of us from Acorn House or The Sick Children’s Trust – they were simply there when we needed them.”

The Sick Children’s Trust supports around 4,000 families each year in their ten “Homes from Home’ around the country. It costs the charity £30 per night to support a family whose child is in hospital. Acorn House Manager, Sandra Peckham, says:

“It is wonderful that Diane and her family have remembered Acorn House and the work of The Sick Children’s Trust. We rely entirely on voluntary donations so we can continue to provide free support to families in need, so we are really grateful to Diane for organising what is sure to be a fantastic event. We are so pleased that Samson appears to have no long-term problems as a result of his prematurity or his illness which brought his family to Acorn House.”

For more information about the Teddy Bears’ Picnic, please contact Diane Smith at mailfordsmith@gmail.com.