A Royal visitor came to see some of Huddersfield’s most special children.
Princess Beatrice is patron of the Forget Me Not Children’s Hospice in Brackenhall and today came to meet some of the youngsters and their families.
One of these children was eight-year-old Gregor Munroe from Holmfirth who requires 24/7 care and is supported by the charity through their hospice at home service.
“It was a magical experience none of us will ever forget” said Gregor’s mum, Mary. “We really treasure the time we get to spend together as a family and to be able to speak with the Princess was great.”
At 16-months-old Gregor contracted Swine Flu which left him in a wheelchair, unable to speak and with the potential of having a seizure at any time day or night.
Mary continued: “Despite all Gregor has been through he is still such a happy young boy, always smiling and an inspiration to those around him.
"We treasure all the time we have together and Forget Me Not support us in so many ways, visiting us at home to allow us to also spend quality time with Gregor’s siblings while Gregor receives one-to-one attention from the care team who he loves.”
Princess Beatrice was presented with a bouquet of flowers from nine-year-old Milly-May Dyson from Dewsbury whose brother Eric sadly died at just three days old from Edwards Syndrome.
Milly-May’s mum, Claire Archer, said: “It was lovely to be able to speak with Princess Beatrice and she took a genuine interest in our story and my family’s journey with Forget Me Not.”
The family have since received bereavement support to help them through the most difficult times and were attending a Rainbow Mum’s Group which has been set up for mums who have had another baby after the loss of a child.
“The care we have received from Forget Me Not has made a huge difference to our lives,” Claire added. “They continue to help us immensely.”
Princess Beatrice, who brought goodie bags and cakes for the children, said: “We really need to think of a new word for hospice as this is so much more than that. It is a magical place.”
Peter Branson, Chief Executive of the Forget Me Not Children’s Hospice who accompanied Princess Beatrice on her tour, said: “Princess Beatrice has been a wonderful supporter of our charity for over three years now.
"Quite simply, we are here to say ‘yes’ to every family who needs our support and being able to give them magical experiences like meeting a real princess was fantastic and they have all gone away with memories that will last a lifetime.”
Forget Me Not Children’s Hospice currently supports 250 children and families and with less than 4% of their funding coming from the Government, they rely heavily on the support of the community to fund this care.
If you would like to find out more about the charity please visit forgetmenotchild.co.uk, email contact@forgetmenotchild.co.uk or call 01484 411040.
