Father and son team raise over £1,000 for children’s charity

Chris Boucher and his four year old son, Daniel from County Antrim, Northern Ireland, will be taking part in Newcastle’s famous Great North Run and Mini Great North Run this weekend in aid of children’s charity, The Sick Children’s Trust.

Chris and his wife, Ciara were supported by the charity when their daughter, Lucy was undergoing specialist treatment in the Children’s Heart Unit at the Freeman Hospital and the Royal Victoria Infirmary in Newcastle-upon-Tyne. Lucy suffered heart failure at just four weeks old and was rushed from her home in Northern Ireland to Newcastle for treatment, she suffered many complications and was also later diagnosed with renal failure.

Lucy was in hospital for a total of eight months and during this time, Chris, Ciara and Daniel were able to stay close by in Crawford House, a ‘Home from Home’ provided by The Sick Children’s Trust. After many treatments Lucy has now recovered well and is back at home.

Chris, 34 says “Crawford House came to mean so much to Ciara and I; we were there for so long that it really did become our second home. The house had everything we could need including a playroom full of toys that helped to keep Daniel occupied. The house staff were lovely too and always there for us when we needed them.

“Now Lucy is doing well I want to give back to the charity that so generously supported us. We had never heard of The Sick Children’s Trust until we were in the situation of needing their help and now we will never forget them; Crawford House is a wonderful place, Daniel loved living there and we made some long lasting friends. Daniel and I are really looking forward to the run and I hope the funds we have raised will help other families in the future who are forced to face similar situations.”

Chris will be taking part in the full Great North Run and Daniel will be taking part in the Mini Great North Run. As a team they have already raised over £1,000!

Gail Stonely, House Manager of Crawford House says “It is lovely that Chris and Daniel will both be taking on a run to fundraise for The Sick Children’s Trust, we are so grateful. We got to know Chris and Ciara so well when they were staying with us and are so pleased to hear that Lucy is now doing well.”

The Sick Children’s Trust provides free, high quality ‘Home from Home’ accommodation as well as emotional and practical support for families who have seriously ill children in hospital. The charity has nine houses across the UK where families can stay free of charge, just minutes from their child’s side.

There is also work in progress to build a second ‘Home from Home’ at the Freeman Hospital. The appeal, launched by The Sick Children’s Trust and the Children’s Heart Unit Fund, will see a new 18 bedroom house open in the autumn which will accommodate families like the Bouchers who have children undergoing heart surgery.

To sponsor Chris and Daniel Boucher please visit their just giving page.