Hundreds of children across the UK will spend Christmas Day in hospital being treated for cancer, when they should be at home waking their parents at an unseemly hour to ask "has he been", before dashing off to start ripping the wrapping paper off gifts left under the tree. In fact, trips to and from hospital will be a feature of the entire festive period.
Your donation today can make sure there's a sensory Cuddles bear for them when they need it. These plush Warmies® teds are more than just a toy - lavender scented and warmable in the microwave, they provide soothing comfort from the aches, pains, and chills of their treatment, and are a firm favourite with children and their families.
Make Christmas comfort available to more children with cancer, like Abbie
Picture it: your child suddenly goes from being a healthy, happy, bundle of youthful energy to requiring intenstive hospital treatment for cancer. That's exactly what happened to Abbie.
She was eight years old when she received her diagnosis. It all started as a small lump in her tummy. It didn't hurt at first but then she developed a stitch-like pain down one side. A trip to A&E and several tests later and her family received the news nobody ever wants to hear: Abbie had a tumour. She went on to receive several different treatments, including chemotherapy, proton beam therapy, stem cell treatment, and immunotherapy. It was a lot for an eight year old to take in.
It was during the high-dose chemo that Abbie’s hair began to fall out. She’d always had lots of it – before treatment, it had grown right down her back – and felt distraught of the thought of losing it. As far as she was concerned, long hair was part of her identity, and she was certain that her friends would no longer like her when it was gone.
"As you can imagine," says mum Linzi, "our whole life was turned upside down. There was so much to take in and process."
Abbie's Christmas Cuddles bear arrived in the depths of her treatment, and while she was at her lowest - in discomfort and struggling to sleep. "Abbie was having tummy pain from the chemo," says Linzi. "The nurses would warm it up and put it on her tummy and she was able to fall asleep."
"It brought her a lot of comfort. More than that, the teddy’s unexpected arrival took her mind off what was happening, which was so important."
Sadly, Abbie's story is far from uncommon. She's one of around 1,900 children diagnosed with cancer every year. By donating to our Christmas Cuddles appeal, you'll be helping to make sure there's a Cuddles bear available FREE to every child that needs one this Christmas and beyond. Please donate today.
Donate Today
Ensure every child with cancer who needs Cuddles gets their own Warmies® bear in time for Christmas
Every child facing the isolation of a cancer ward deserves the soothing comfort that a Cuddles bear can bring. Donating is quick, easy, and secure.
Your generous donation of £36 will put smiles on the faces of three children who each receive a Cuddles bear this Christmas
Your generous donation of £24 will mean two children each enjoy the delight of receiving their very own Cuddles bear this Christmas
Your generous donation of £12 will be mean a child out there who needs one gets a Cuddles bear to keep them comforted this Christmas
"It’s lovely that there are people who think of children like Abbie undergoing cancer treatment. They brought comfort to us all" says mum, Linzi.
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Donate today and help make life a little better for a child with cancer this Christmas and beyond
The generosity of people like you can really brighten the days of children living with cancer and undergoing treatment.