Me&Dee Charity Supports UHDB
There are so many amazing people who support our hospitals, and we would like to shine the spotlight on me & dee charity
The charity has been working in partnership with Derby and Burton Hospitals Charity and the Trust to help support families with comfort packs and many other items and support for memory making experiences for 15 years.
Maria Hanson MBE, founder/CEO, has increased the support that Me&Dee can offer by working directly and closely with Fran and Chrissy on the wards and Kate and Caroline in bereavement and neonatal and other areas of the Children’s Hospital.
Maria and Charlotte work directly with nursing staff, identifying need and reacting to this very quickly for appropriate day out experiences which allows the whole family to make memories together.
The monthly items supplied have been added to by supplying moulding memory hand buckets for making casts of hands and feet, the clear cases for them to go in, and various other uniquely designed bereavement items. Me&Dee were also delighted and proud to organise, host and cover the cost for their first ‘remembering afternoon tea’.
Maria visits regularly to update with staff and ensure that they are supporting and reacting to need in the best way possible. Their unique larger Hope cuddly elephants are provided in certain circumstances, (these can be used for all seriously ill children too, along with the palliative care and cancer care wards for adults). The elephants contain a voice recorder in their ear so that siblings, or other family members, can record their voice to comfort children in hospital when they cannot be there alongside them and for last messages, to leave the sound of a voice as comfort for parents and partners.
It is envisaged that hundreds will be supplied to Derby and Burton Hospitals.
Melbourne-based Me&Dee continue to, and has donated thousands of packs as a gesture of support for families who arrive at the hospital with poorly youngsters in an emergency and may have nothing with them – like a cuddly toy, craft activities and a distracting game.
Children’s comfort packs provided by Me&Dee include an age-appropriate activity, book, toothbrush, toothpaste and flannel. They also include a baby Hero small lion cuddly keepsake, or baby Hope elephant.
Maria Hanson MBE, whose charity helps provide comfort and memory making activities for families, said: “For the children, the packs are intended to be a diversion. They’ve got something to cuddle, something to read and something to make.”
“We are proud to be there by people’s sides when they need us for the services we offer and within those, the comfort packs that we have been providing to the hospital are a great source of comfort.”
Derby and Burton Hospitals Charity want to say a huge thank you to Me&Dee for all their support and we look forward to working with them in the future in supporting our hospitals.
Jill Matthews, Chief Officer of Derby and Burton Hospitals Charity said: “Over many years the young people and their families treated in our Children’s Hospital have benefitted from a range of support including days out, cuddly toys and comfort packs to ease a stay in hospital.
“We are delighted with the support Me&Dee provide and are grateful that there is still more to come with plans being developed to improve bereavement services together for young people and their families.”
