A Chester family whose daughter suffers from a life-limiting condition has shared what love means to them in a special Valentine’s social media campaign run by Claire House Children’s Hospice.
Families whose children attend Claire House Children’s Hospice were asked to complete the sentence ‘love is...’, and the Gregory family from Kingsway, were among many who contributed touching statements, giving a glimpse of life caring for a seriously ill child.
Jemma and Craig Gregory, parents to four-year-old daughter Isabelle who has mitochondrial disease which means she is prone to debilitating seizures, said: “Love is making today count, because tomorrow, it could all change.
"It’s holding her tight until her seizure ends and it’s wanting to take her pain away and wishing it was mine.
“But it’s also feeling overwhelmingly proud of even the smallest achievement and seeing her smile when she hears my voice.”
Jemma, also mum to Isaac and Imogen, set up a special charity called Space, which provides specialist drop-in play sessions in the Chester area for children with additional needs.
They are regular visitors to Claire House with Isabelle, which offers care and support whenever a family feel like they need it.
'So much love'
Lauren Luxton, marketing and communications executive at Claire House Children’s Hospice, said: “We have been overwhelmed by the response from our parents when we asked them to tell us what love meant to them.
“There is clearly so much love in these families.
“Valentine’s Day might now be over for another year, but we wanted to share the love with our supporters and let them know that at Claire House, every day is a day to spend time with those most important to you.
“The hospice helps create wonderful memories for the families we support, whether that’s creating Valentine’s Day cards in our Art Room or giving mum and dad a break from caring for their child so they can enjoy a date night.”
