Jelson's Christmas Appeal - A Family's Story

Jelson Homes, along with our friends at Leicester Riders, are raising funds this Christmas in support of Rainbows Hospice for Children and Young People, in Loughborough. It’s an incredible place that helps so many families in their darkest hours.Families like Becki, Phil, Kaleb and Eden who, together, are the ‘face’ of Rainbows’ Christmas appeal.

Here’s their story.

“In August 2017, Kaleb was born unexpectedly at home and, at birth, he didn’t breathe. “He was rushed by ambulance to hospital but, despite all of the efforts of the hospital team to resuscitate him quickly, he was left with a catastrophic brain injury. We were told that he would die, and it was time to say goodbye.

“Our world crumbled around us. It was a living nightmare. At ten days old, they turned off the machine and removed his tubes. Our little boy was so fragile, he had never breathed without a ventilator. We held him in our arms expecting that this was it. Kaleb breathed. He fought for his life but was so small and weak. We didn’t know where to turn.

“The intensive care nurse suggested we take him to Rainbows to spend Kaleb’s final moments together as a family, where he would receive the very best specialist end-of-life care. “As we walked through the doors, the Rainbows team were like the sunshine in the storm. They greeted us with open arms, words full of encouragement and hope, something I could never have imagined. They cared for our family with such deep kindness that the pain somewhat eased and for the first time, Kaleb was treated as a little person and not as a statistic. I remember thinking we had been given our first real ray of hope.

“Rainbows has been there for all of us during the first year of Kaleb’s life. They have done everything they can to make life easier for us. They have extended such compassion to us in our time of need, a gift for us that will remain forever in our hearts, Rainbows is our sanctuary of hope. “Kaleb has survived; he has significant complex needs but he’s a warrior, our Kaleb The Brave.

“We visit Rainbows regularly and are forever thankful for their love and support for the whole family. We would not be here now if it wasn’t for them. Whenever we have been overwhelmed by darkness, Rainbows has provided little pockets of light.”

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