Parents take on Peaks for hospice

A TODDLER who tragically passed away earlier this year “showed no signs of being ill before the day he died”. Leo Roberts was nearly three years old when he died at hospital in February after suddenly becoming ill at his home in Llangollen.

Leo was moved to Hope House’s special Snowflake Suite after he died, so that his mum and dad, Sian and Garry, and his brother and sisters, Max, Alessa and Lacey, could spend time with him and say goodbye while being supported by the hospice team.

“Never in a million years would we think something like this would happen. Leo showed no signs of being ill before the day he died and we still don’t actually know what happened,” said Garry.

“Leo was a mischievous little boy with lots of energy, he’d always be getting up to something. After he died we were told at the hospital about Hope House and the Snowflake Suite and being there meant we could be with Leo as a family for a few days.

“I can’t imagine what it would have been like if we hadn’t had that chance to spend time with him, and it was only possible because of Hope House.”

Mum Sian said Leo is greatly missed by his family but that he also touched many other people in Llangollen.

“People knew Leo, he was so outgoing. The bin men would always flash their lights for him as he was into his trucks and diggers, and he even knew the postman better than we did,” she said.

“Losing Leo so suddenly, I honestly can’t describe how that feels – but I know that having that time with Leo at Hope House was so important. It wasn’t a clinical room like you’d think of at a hospital, it was our home for a few days where we could be with him. All the staff there were absolutely incredible.”

Sian and Garry are taking on the Three Peaks Challenge in Leo’s memory this month to raise money for Hope House Children’s Hospices. There will be a group of 18 friends and family taking on the challenge of climbing Ben Nevis, Scafell Pike and Yr Wyddfa on June 25.

Leo’s sisters Alessa and Lacey have also held a sponsored walk at their school Ysgol Bryn Collen, which will be added to the fund.

Sian added: “We do still have Leo with us every day at home in a special memory bear, wearing his Manchester United kit.

“Walking the Three Peaks will be us giving something back to say thank you, but also help in some way to make sure families can have access to the care we did in the future.”

■ If you would like to donate to Garry and Sian’s Three Peaks Challenge then please visit www. leojamesroberts.muchloved.com