East Anglia's Children's Hospices launch campaign to change views

Keely Blows from Hertfordshire lost her daughter after 19 days

A campaign aimed at challenging misconceptions surrounding hospice care for children has been launched.

Staff from East Anglia's Children's Hospices (EACH) spoke to parents and shared their stories.

The I Wish You Knew campaign was launched by Lois Livoti and is focused on changing people's views on hospice care.

Mrs Livoti, said: "It is not sad and depressing, it is a positive place."

EACH supports children with life-threatening conditions, and their families, across Cambridgeshire, north Essex, Norfolk and Suffolk.

Catherine, Princess of Wales has been the hospice's royal patron since 2012.

Families who took part in the campaign were asked to complete the sentence "I wish you knew..."

'We focus on life'

Keely Blows from Hertfordshire lost her daughter in 2013.

She said: "I wish you knew the depth of love and longing I carry for my daughter, Tallulah Irish, who was with us for just 19 days after being born by emergency caesarean in November 2013."

She said her baby girl received end-of-life care from the staff at Milton in Cambridgeshire.

The family stayed in the hospice for three weeks and "it did not feel as though we were in a hospice environment", she said.

Mrs Livoti, senior digital communications co-ordinator, wanted the campaign to create a space where parents could share their "unique perspectives" in the challenges they had faced.

She said she has worked on the campaign for about year.

"The word hospice brings up feelings of death, but we focus on life and living," she said.

"I really hope the campaign will educate people."