The Courier & Advertiser (Angus and Dundee)
Grateful family happy to help Rachel House mark 25th anniversary
The family of a teenager who receives care from Rachel House in Kinross has offered high praise as the hospice celebrates its 25th anniversary.
Run by charity Children’s Hospices Across Scotland (CHAS), Rachel House, which opened in March 1996, offers support to children with life shortening conditions and their families.
Ava Young, 13, has been supported by staff there for 11 years and also receives specialist care from the CHAS at Home team. The teenager – who lives in Penicuik – has quadriplegic cerebral palsy, epilepsy and scoliosis curvature of the spine.
Her parents, Fiona and Keith Young, say Rachel House is their daughter’s “favourite place” and praised the help they have given the family.
Fiona said: “It’s definitely her favourite place in the whole world. She always starts squealing with joy in the car when we get near it.
“It’s a special place for all three of us. Every time we visit we are made to feel like family.
“I still remember the first time we went – we were quite nervous because the word ‘hospice’ makes you think it might be a sad place but we couldn’t have been more wrong.
“It was light and bright and joyful, and everyone was so welcoming and friendly that we didn’t want to leave.”
The Young family feel such a strong connection to Rachel House that Fiona and Keith renewed their wedding vows there on Valentine’s Day in 2019.
Fiona added: “The nurses helped to dress Ava in her flower girl dress and decorated everything to look like a wedding room. The whole day was really special.”
Due to the ongoing pandemic, Ava and her family have been unable to visit Rachel House since October last year but have been enjoying the virtual hospice services.
Fiona said: “We would like to say congratulations to everyone at Rachel House for reaching such a special milestone and we will always be grateful to all the staff for the invaluable care they have given to our family and countless others over the last 25 years.”
“It’s
such a special place for the three of us. We feel like family when we visit