One family from Livingston are amongst many families across Scotland who are set to benefit from a £10,950 donation from Aberdeen Standard Investments Charitable Foundation to the Sick Children’s Trust.
The donation will cover the running costs of the charity’s ‘Home from Home’ Guilford Street House in London where Frazer Orr’s family have stayed during Frazer’s treatment at Great Ormond Street Hospital.
At just five weeks old, Frazer suddenly stopped breathing and was rushed into A&E.
Following being put into an induced coma at Edinburgh’s Sick Children’s Hospital, it was discovered Frazer’s aorta – the largest artery in the body – had two branches surrounding his windpipe which were severely affecting his breathing. Frazer was then moved to Yorkhill Children’s Hospital in Glasgow where he underwent two operations – but his condition did not improve.
The double aortic arch had damaged his windpipe and caused Frazer to suffer from a condition known as bronchomalacia. This meant Frazer required surgery to create a hole in his windpipe to help him breathe and needed to be ventilated.
As his family waited for Frazer to finally go back home, they were confronted with devastating news: the stent was migrating to his oesophagus and this required a complicated surgery to remove it. It was at this point two-year old Frazer was transferred from Glasgow all the way to GOSH for specialist treatment.
Frazer’s father, Sandy Orr, says: “The operation was a risky procedure requiring Frazer to have both a heart and lung bypass. We were told this could take 12 hours. Fortunately, we were welcomed by staff at The Sick Children’s Trust’s Guilford Street House.
“Six hours later my phone rang. I held my breath – amazingly Frazer’s surgery was over without any complications. Frazer was to be kept in an induced coma for the next few days and this was when we needed the charity the most.
“During this time, the escapes to the house enabled us to return to Frazer’s bedside afresh, ready to help look after him. Guilford Street House wasn’t just somewhere to lay our tired heads after spending hours every day camped at his bedside; it was where we could prepare and eat meals and support and be supported by other families staying in the house whose children were also very ill in hospital.
“This really put things into perspective – you realise you’re not the only one going through a range of emotions and you feel a natural desire to help support in a way which you yourself have received support.
“Frazer’s recovery went really well. The operation was a success beyond our wildest dreams and he came off the ventilator and since returning back to Scotland, he has gone from strength to strength – finally doing the things he should have been able to do for years!”
Families, such as Frazer’s, whose children require treatment in specialised hospitals in London often have to travel significant distances from all over the UK to receive the care they desperately need.
The Sick Children’s Trust charity runs ten ‘Homes from Home’ across London, which provide 147 bedrooms, alongside living facilities, 365 days a year, sparing families in desperate need of accommodation much of the financial, practical and emotional stresses that come with having a seriously ill child in hospital.
Charlotte Webster, Corporate Partnerships Manager at The Sick Children’s Trust says: “When a child is diagnosed with a life-threatening illness or involved in a serious accident, life for the whole family is thrown into complete turmoil. Often families find themselves in a city far away from home, with nowhere to stay close to their child during their treatment.
“The Sick Children’s Trust alleviates some of the stresses and strains families with seriously ill children in hospital experience by supporting them, practically and emotionally, with free ‘Home from Home’ accommodation.
“Guilford Street House is one of three ‘Homes from Home’ run by The Sick Children’s Trust in London, supporting around 200 families a year with children undergoing complex and specialist treatment at GOSH. There is a high demand to support families and more often than not, there is a waiting list for rooms within Guilford Street House.
“We’d like to say a huge thank you Aberdeen Standard Investments Charitable Foundation for its generous donation. It will have a huge impact on keeping families together, ensuring they can be there to support their sick child’s recovery. “
Frazer and his family are among many other families who have no option but to travel far away from home for specialist medical treatment which not all hospitals are able to offer. The charity offers a support system for all the members of the family involved.
The funding from the global asset manager will enable the charity to provide free accommodation for one whole year for approximately 30 families with a child receiving treatment at Great Ormond Hospital (GOSH).
Claire Drummond, Head of Charitable Giving for Aberdeen Standard Investments, said: “The Sick Children’s Trust makes all the difference to these children, their parents and siblings – nothing is more important than keeping a family together during such difficult times.
“It is through such dedication these families can have moments of respite as well as practical and emotional support to help them cope with their situation whilst their child receives treatment.”
The Aberdeen Standard Investments Charitable Foundation was established in 2012 to formalise and develop the Group’s charitable giving globally. The Foundation seeks partnerships with smaller charities around the world, where funds can be seen to have a meaningful and measurable impact. It encourages its employees to use their time and skills to support its charitable projects. For more information visit
http://aboutus.aberdeen-asset.
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