Daniel ascends newheights for hospice

Daniel Thomas, from Rye, who was diagnosed with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy at the age of five and is in a wheelchair, had to be lifted to the top of the London landmark to take part in the challenge.

He took part in the climb on May 29 alongside mum Kate , who is scared of heights, his dad Neil and sister Lucy.

They undertook the challenge to raise funds for Demelza children’s hospice.

Daniel said: “The climb up was not too bad, the views from the top were fantastic but going down backwards was really scary. I’ve done it and it was great but I don’t want to do it again!”

The family raised around £600 from the challenge.

The Thomas’ are just starting to access respite care from Demelza. They have been offered four hours a month respite care through Demelza’s hospice at home care team and have also been to look around the charity’s hospice in Sittingbourne where they will be able to come for breaks.

The 02 climb is not the only fundraising Kate and the family are doing. Neil is taking part in the London to Brighton bike ride in September and Kate is climbing Ben Nevis next year.

Kate explained why they were fundraising for Demelza: “We know it’s such a good thing and we know they are going to help us.”

Demelza provides care and a place to play, relax and recharge, for nearly 800 children with life-limiting or life-threatening conditions and their families.

Both their 10-bedded hospice in Sittingbourne, Kent and our six-bedded hospice in Eltham, South East London offer a range of specialist services, including day care, short-stay care, symptom control, end-of-life care, psycho-social therapies and bereavement support for the whole family.

The care team is led by specialist children’s palliative care nurses and our facilities, which include multi-sensory rooms, soft play areas, a hydrotherapy pool - and The Inclusion Zone for teenagers - ensure children make the most of their stay at the hospice.

A spokesperson for Demelza said: “Specialist paediatric community nurses go directly into the family home to provide day care, crisis intervention, an on-call service and respite, combined with short breaks and other services. This flexible care provision enables families to live their lives in their own environment and take away some of the strain of caring for a life-limited child.”

In addition to residential care, the Demelza community team provides a ‘Hospice at Home’ care service for children and families in East Sussex, Kent and South East London.