If something needs done, we do our best to get it done
“She’s one of the reasons why I love my job so much.
“She loves glitter and princesses and is a joy to be around. She lets you know if she’s happy or if she’s had a good day.
“She has time for everyone and always has a story to tell. She’s a very happy girl.”
Rhona said: “It sounds corny but Lynsey and CHAS basically gave us hope. They gave us hope and reassurance when we needed it most and I’ll never forget that.”
It’s nurses like Lynsey who make CHAS so special to the families who use their services.
The c ha r i t y are urging the people of Scotland to donate and help recruit more nurses like Lynsey and reach more children across the country. From an early age, Derek Jolly knew he wanted to work in the healthcare profession.
But he was realistic about what nursing involved.
Derek said:“It’s a lot of hard work and heartbreak but the rewards far outweigh that.”
He learned about Rachel House in Kinross when a patient he was looking after was referred there.
Derek quickly decided that this was where he wanted to work. He added:“I really felt that I needed to be here.”
Now a trainee advanced nurse practitioner based at Rachel House, during his five years with CHAS, Derek, 47, has supported families through the most difficult times.
He takes time to get to know people and makes sure days spent with their loved ones are as fun and as comfortable as possible.
Rachel House is a home from home for families. It has facilities including a Jacuzzi, music and art rooms, a large accessible garden and lots of areas for relaxing and fun.
It also has areas for reflection, bereavement support and care.
CHAS nurses pride themselves on not letting anything get in the way of caring for children and their families.
When the Beast from the East snowstorm hit in March, Derek made sure he could still get to work.
Derek said:“We had a child who was receiving end of life care and it was crucial we were there for the family. “I was snowed in at home but managed to contact a friend with a 4x4 to drive me.”
Derek stayed at Rachel House to help care for the family and manage the child’s symptoms for four days until she died peacefully.
He said:“At CHAS, if something needs to be done, we do our very best to get it done.”
Becoming an advanced nurse practitioner means Derek works with both medical and nursing teams and the combination of skills mean he is especially popular with families at Rachel House.
Gill White, mum to Leo, says she’ll never forget the kindness and support shown by Derek since he met the family in 2015.
Two-year-old Leo has Ohtahara Syndrome, a neurological disorder characterised by seizures and severe developmental delay. Leo can’t talk and requires roundthe-clock care.
Gill said:“Before we discovered Rachel House, we were guilty of wrapping Leo up in cotton wool.