Supportive friend laces up boots to trek 100km for sick children's trust

Clare Moseley, from Hildenborough, is pulling on her walking boots in a bid to raise hundreds of pounds for The Sick Children’s Trust to thank them for giving her friend, father-of-five Scott Mills, free accommodation so that he could be by the side of his five-month-old son when he was seriously ill with pneumonia.

Jack, now 18-months-old, was rushed from his local hospital in Kent to The Royal London Hospital when he became life-threateningly ill with pneumonia. Jack, who has a twin brother Cameron, was ventilated to help with his breathing. Dad Scott was by his side throughout his whole treatment thanks to the free ‘Home from Home’ accommodation provided by The Sick Children’s Trust. Scott says:

“Jack was seriously ill and it was tough seeing him in such a bad condition as he battled pneumonia. I was alone by Jack’s side for the whole time he was in hospital, while my wife Sarah, Jack’s twin Cameron and our other children were back home in Kent. In that situation, you need a crutch – maybe more so if you are separated from the rest of your family.

“I found my crutch at The Sick Children’s Trust’s Stevenson House– a two-minute walk from Jack’s neonatal intensive care unit. It was my lifeline, a real ‘Home from Home’. Stevenson House helped enormously - it was somewhere I could be in my own little world, worry about Jack but also sit calmly with my own thoughts.”

Clare, whose children attend the same school as the Mills children, was inspired to take on the Thames Path challenge after speaking with Scott and hearing how valuable he found Stevenson House. She has already surpassed her target of £475 and reached over £1,100. She says:

“The support I’ve received has been wonderful and actually made me very emotional – I can’t quite believe how much money has been raised already! Seeing the messages of support is something that keeps me going as I’m trekking through the rain in preparation.

“Scott’s family are great and at the time I heard a lot about what they were going through - it just made me want to do it. I’m fortunate enough to not have had to need The Sick Children’s Trust but there are a lot of families out there who do need them, like Scott. Stevenson House really did make a difference to his experience when Jack was ill, so I feel quite loyal to the cause.”

Stevenson House Manager, Alan, says: “Clare is training really hard at the moment and we love seeing her updates on how she’s progressing. She’s always smiling and so positive even if her legs are hurting after walking seven hours in the rain! She’s raised an incredible amount so far which will go a long way to helping other families in a similar situation to Scott – we wish her all the best.”

Since being in hospital, Jack is well on the road to recovery and a very happy young man. Scott adds:

“Our family are so thankful to Clare for taking on this challenge for us – her support means so much. She has chosen a fundraiser which will be very challenging and hopefully it will inspire others to do something similar to help the charity support other families.”

Clare’s challenge will take place 12^th-13^th September, to support her please visit https://www.justgiving.com/Clare-Moseley13/