Ruby is a little girl from Scotland who lives with her mum, Pauline and her brother, Riley. Ruby was born after only 32 weeks and could not breathe on her own. She now needs, and will always need, round the clock care which can only be offered by Children’s Hospices Across Scotland (CHAS).
“For me, it was always a dearest wish to be a mum. So the day I found out I was pregnant was one of the best days of my life. And for the next 32 weeks, everything seemed to be just perfect. But then the doctors started to raise concerns. Ruby wasn’t able to swallow, so my amniotic fluid was building up dangerously. Then, one terrifying Sunday evening, I was rushed into an emergency room and given a cesarean section.
“The weeks and months that followed were brutal. There’s no other word for it. Ruby wasn’t moving and couldn’t even breathe without a ventilator. When a doctor told me she would never even be able to smile I felt my heart break. It was as if the happiness and joy we’d longed for were disappearing before our eyes. In that moment my prayers for Ruby changed from, ‘Please let her be ok,’ to ‘Please let her live… please give us time.’ When we took Ruby home, things got even tougher. I felt so alone and vulnerable.
“I have all the love in the world for my little girl, but there was just no way I – or any mother – could give her the intense, specialist care she needs and deserves all on my own. Thank goodness I didn’t have to. Children’s Hospices Across Scotland have quite simply been our lifeline. From the moment I met them, I knew they really understood how incredibly special my Ruby was, and that they would care for her as much as we did. I felt safe and supported.
“I know I’ve been lucky. Having the support of CHAS has brought the joy back into my family. But all over Scotland there are hundreds of families like mine – families with children who need intense, specialist, 24-hour care – who are having to cope alone.” Ruby’s Mum – Pauline
CHAS is one of over twenty hospices currently benefiting from the Local Hospice Lottery. By sharing management costs and overheads, Local Hospice Lottery is able to ensure that people get to support the hospice of their choice – whilst also offering a larger prize fund for players and providing more money for hospice care.
By becoming a member of Local Hospice Lottery for as little as just £1 per week, you can help to ensure that local hospices such as CHAS are able to keep caring for families like Ruby’s, both now and in the future. And with as many as 7,900 cash prizes being issued automatically every year and the chance to win up to £25,000 – there really couldn’t be an easier way to help AND be in with a great chance of winning. It’s win-win!
