Thurso mum hails support for child respite home
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A THURSO woman has praised the local community for backing a national campaign to improve a children’s respite home.
Mother-of-two Jacqueline Fry hailed the generosity of Caithness people after raising over £1000 towards a new den at Rachel House, Kinross, which is run by Children’s Hospice Association Scotland.
Her 19-year-old son, Michael, was diagnosed with muscular dystrophy when he was four and the family has been using the respite facility for around seven years.
Mrs Fry and her daughter raised the funds by holding a tea and tiara party earlier this year.
“It went exceptionally well. I thought we’d manage to raise a few hundred pounds but we raised over £1000. That was a lot of people from Dounreay as well as just donations through the letter box.”
She added: “I thought it would be great for people in Thurso and around the county to see where their money went and what it was for.”
In February former Miss Scotland Nicola Mimnagh, whose two cousins also have muscular dystrophy, started a national campaign to raise the cash for the £100,000 renovation.
Mrs Fry and her 16-year-old daughter, Stacey, came up with the tea party idea after reading about the appeal in a national tabloid newspaper.
As Mrs Fry, who is Michael’s full-time carer, has first-hand experience of what a great service CHAS offers she knew she had to help.
“It means I can get a break from Michael and he can get a break from us, and he also gets a chance to mix with other boys with the same condition,” she said. “He gets to go to teenage holidays where parents are banned and it gives him independence and time to be a teenager.
“I wouldn’t be able to cope without Rachel House – it’s the only time I get a break.”
The Fry family – comprising Mrs Fry, her Dounreay worker husband, Michael, son Michael and daughter Stacey – was at the launch party of the new den. Mrs Fry told the John O’Groat Journal it is excellent.
“Before only one or two could play on the computers at once and now they can all get a shot,” she said. “They were all smiling when they saw it so I’d say everyone was happy with it.”
Mrs Fry added: “I’m really grateful to the people of Caithness for their donations – their money really did help and it all went towards something really worthwhile.”
The new den is up to four times the size of the one it replaced and includes an outside decking area. Automatic doors and lighting allow users to be as independent as possible.
The young adults have been very involved in choosing the design and decoration of their new space. Their requests included a recliner massage chair and modern Perspex chairs. The decorations include a bright red feature wall and coloured LED lights.
The room is equipped with the latest entertainment technology too with computers, a 3D TV, an Xbox, PlayStation 3 and a music system.
Activities facilitator Donna Nicoll said: “The young adults seeing the space for the first time have been stunned by the transformation and can’t wait to get in there on their own and have fun with all the gadgets.
“We’re so grateful to everyone who’s helped support the appeal. It’s an amazing space that will benefit many young adults and families visiting the hospice.”
CHAS is a national charity that provides the only hospice services in Scotland for children and young people with life-limiting conditions.
It runs two children’s hospices – Rachel House and Robin House in Balloch – and an at-home service, CHAS at Home.
