‘We create a wonderland for the children’

Aisling Kilbane, 48, is a lead in-house nurse at Haven House Children’s Hospice in Woodford Green, Essex. The hospice provides specialist care to children and young people who have life-limiting or lifethreatening conditions. Aisling lives locally with her husband and two children aged 13 and 10.

I’ve worked at the hospice for 12 years and I can say with certainty that this is the most fulfilling role I’ve had. I am there to help a child and their family through the worst journey of their lives – there can’t be a more important job to do than that. We work shifts at the hospice, so we’ll often celebrate the festive season with our families the day before or after. We realise that a child’s last Christmas with their family takes priority, and it makes us all appreciate how precious these special times with family are. The hospice transforms at Christmas time. The build-up begins on 1 December, when the trees and decorations are put up. We have many wonderful events for all the children and families that access our services, making Christmas at Haven House extraordinary.

CREATING MEMORIES

One of my favourites is a winter wonderland event, where we invite families and people from the local community. The hospice is a beautiful old building surrounded by four acres of woodland, so it’s a magical setting. There are fairy lights, an enchanted woodland trail, mince pies, carol-singing, games and, of course, Father Christmas’ grotto and reindeer. We make a huge effort to create joyful memories. We never know if it may be a child’s last Christmas, so we do our utmost to make it very special. On Christmas Day, there is a delicious Christmas dinner, staff dress up as elves, and our CEO dresses up as Father Christmas and delivers presents to the children and their siblings. Last year, we had a young boy with us at Christmas time who was very unwell. His family was staying in a flat on site and we arranged

‘A CHILD’S LAST CHRISTMAS WITH THEIR FAMILY TAKES PRIORITY’

for them to have a surprise private evening in Father Christmas’ grotto. There were twinkly lights and presents, they all laughed together and made wonderful memories – it was a beautiful moment for the family. Sadly, it was his last Christmas. On another occasion, there was a young girl who had been desperate to get out of hospital and go home for Christmas, but was too poorly. So instead, she came to the hospice, and seeing her face when she saw all the lights and decorations was just wonderful. While there is, of course, sadness, families do find moments of joy and laughter. ✣