CHILDREN’S hospice in Wales, Tŷ Hafan is appealing to supporters to help its nurses get ready for the next generation.

It wants to expand their care beyond the hospice walls and into the homes of life-limited children.

Since opening in 1999, Tŷ Hafan has supported more than 800 children and every year more and more children are admitted to the Sully-based hospice for comfort and care.

Technological and medical developments mean children are living longer and their needs have become increasingly complex.

Tŷ Hafan continues to adapt its procedures and systems to care for life-limited children and their families across Wales, helping them to make the most of the time they have together.

In its 20th year Tŷ Hafan will be expanding its services beyond the hospice and into the homes of life-limited children in more locations - giving families a choice of where their child will be cared for.

Tŷ Hafan’s head of hospice care, Hayley Humphries said: “We respond to the needs of each and every Tŷ Hafan child so our clinical care has had to evolve considerably

“Our highly trained nurses have introduced new clinical procedures and our symptom control, and management techniques have become more specialised.

“Our hospice is now open 24/7, 365 days a year, enabling us to be ready for whenever the children need us.”

The hospice is aiming to have a Tŷ Hafan community nurse based in every Welsh health board, joining forces with the existing health services to provide pain management, family support and end of life care in a home setting.

Ms Humphries said: “It costs over £1.1 million every year to train and fund our nurses, both community and hospice based.

“That’s why we’re launching this appeal and asking community, corporate and individual supporters to do anything they can to raise funds to help our nurses support even more children across Wales, not only in the hospice but also in the safe and familiar comfort of their own homes.

“There will be more families who need us, and we need to be ready for them”.

Osian Liddell, of Barry, has visited Tŷ Hafan for short breaks since he was born nearly four years ago.

His mum, Anna recalled how she felt the very first time she visited the hospice and handed her tiny baby over to the Tŷ Hafan nurses.

“We just felt massive relief and for the first time in Oshi’s young life, we felt calm,” she said.

“We were with people who could help us and if something happened, they’d know what to do.

“Osian was safe.

“Those nurses are a replacement ‘me’.

“As well as medication, they give cuddles and love, which is just what Oshi needs.”

To help, visit tyhafan.org/nurses/