“Claire House help our Christmas by making Sophia happy and, because of that, make us all happy.”
When Sophia was diagnosed with a rare genetic disorder, Claire House was there to support her and the entire family.
For the Flood family, every Christmas that comes and goes is bittersweet because they never know how many are left with their youngest child, Sophia.
Sophia from Cheshire was diagnosed with a condition that degenerates the body and shortens lives. However, thanks to Claire House Children’s Hospice, the family make unforgettable memories every Christmas.
“Sophia has a condition called Cockayne Syndrome, which is a premature aging disorder and has a limited life expectancy,” explains mum Rebecca.
“It’s degenerative, so she’ll lose functions as she progresses through life. It’s been four years since she last walked.
“She’s lost some of her hearing and she’s not mobile anymore. We don’t really know how long we have with her.”
Fortunately, Claire House helps families with seriously ill children like Sophia, 12, make the most of the time they have left, however long or short that may be.
Rebecca says: “For us as a family, Claire House is like a comfort blanket. They fully understand what we are going through, and they guide us all.
“It’s not just for Sophia and her condition, they ease my anxiety and support us with anything that we’re struggling with.
“So, Christmas time for us, as a family, is an important time. Sophia gets so excited, she absolutely adores Christmas, like every other child. It’s her favourite time of year.
“Every Christmas that comes and goes, it is quite sad, but Claire House make such a big deal about Sophia and her brothers, Lucas and Jack.
“The last couple of years, Sophia has been taken out to the garden centre to pick her own decoration to put on our tree at home.
“It makes me proud that we’ve found a group of people at Claire House that treat Sophia so well and make her happy. She loves the people there and it makes me feel great.”
Sophia’s family have had eight Christmases with Claire House by their side.
“Every Christmas, we always make memories. We’d be lost without them,” says Rebecca.
“Sophia likes to socialise, so Claire House gives her time away where she can enjoy herself and do lots of activities. We can then spend a bit of quality time with the boys, going shopping or taking them out for a meal, because it’s very hard on them as well.
“As Sophia gets older, she likes to be more independent, and if she’s spending time at Claire House, we’ll pack a bag of her favourite toys and she’ll pick what she wants to wear and she just gets so excited.”
Rebecca considers the Claire House staff to be more like friends, making Christmas time at the hospice even more special.
She says: “The staff at Claire House make it a priority to become friends with Sophia and make her feel safe, and they make us feel safe.
“It can be a lonely world when you’re in a situation like ours, but Claire House just understands”.
A donation to Claire House this Christmas is so important so they can continue to make special memories with children like Sophia and her brothers.