In the run-up to Christmas, hospitals like Temple Street Children’s University Hospital (above) are busy fundraising for a variety of causes.
What is often overlooked, however, is the lengths the hospital goes to for parents of sick children. Where possible, Temple Street accommodates families that are travelling long distances. It’s called Parent Accommodation, which is basically a number of free rooms with a bed, fitted out to provide parents with the comfort they need.
“The only other option would be for a parent to sleep in a child’s bed or on a mattress,” said Róisín O’Connor the Fundraising Manager for Temple Street Children’s Hospital.
“It becomes a very stressful situation if you’re away from home, you could have another child in school, there could be ramifications on you holding down a job. Then there’s the cost involved with accommodation and the cost of fuel. What we like to do is treat the entire family in a holistic type of way. We would have what’s called the Hardship fund, which we would give to parents to help with their petrol costs or whatever else.
It was a fund that was put together a few years ago to help parents who are finding it generally difficult,” said Róisín.
Temple Street Children’s Hospital has been operating since 1872, when it opened with a handful of patients and just eight beds. The hospital has now grown in size to treat over 133,000 children a year, 50,000 for accident and emergency and 8,000 for surgical procedures, according to the hospital. Temple Street is also the national centre for transplant and renal dialysis, neurosurgery, neurology, orthopedics and plastic surgery for children.
The accommodation service is not known widely, although a similar service is offered in Our Lady’s Children’s Hospital in Crumlin.
For more information on donating to Temple Street Children’s Hospital you can contact the fundraising office directly on 01 878 4344.
By Liam Cahill
