‘Climb that hill’ to support families of sick kids

A CLARE-BASED nurse with children’s charity Jack & Jill is urging the people of the Banner to go Up the Hill in solidarity with local families who face an uphill challenge every day.
The Jack & Jill Children’s Foundation is holding its Up the Hill for Jack & Jill fundraiser this October asking people to take on a climbing challenge.
This is the seventh year of the nationwide fundraising challenge which aims to raise funds for the organisation’s specialist home nursing care, respite support and end-of-life care for very sick children up to the age of six.
Margaret Naughton, Jack & Jill Specialist Children’s Liaison Nurse for Clare, said the event means so much to local families, who depend on the funds raised for their support.
“To say that it has been a very tough 18 months for our Jack & Jill families is an understatement. As one of the vulnerable groups during the pandemic, our families have had to take refuge in order to keep themselves and, most importantly, their children safe. It has been really tough.
“Throughout this time, we have continued to provide in-home support, across the garden wall support, and over the phone support. Last year, we provided almost 1,800 hours of support to families in Clare. This support affords families the ‘Gift of Time’ to do things for themselves and other family members.
“Whether it’s spending some quality time with a sibling, grabbing a quick coffee with a friend, getting some fresh air in the great outdoors, or simply taking a nap to recharge, it’s that time out which means that they can continue to spend time caring for their sick child and doing what mums and dads do best.”
Notwithstanding the pandemic, in 2020 Jack & Jill funded and delivered over 94,000 hours of home nursing care to 376 families, through a team of hundreds of nurses and carers in communities across the country.
“This was in addition to the 25,000 hours of hands-on, case management provided by the Jack & Jill core nursing team, which is made up of 15 specialist children’s liaison nurses.
“In 2020, Jack & Jill also extended the age range of children it supports by a year and that age extension continues today, with children up to six years of age receiving the vital care that they need at home. Because, for a Jack & Jill child, there is no care like home care.”
With less than 20 per cent of Jack & Jill’s funding coming from Government, it relies hugely on the support of the public for the continued provision of this critical service for so many families.
The Up the Hill fundraising challenge is one Jack & Jill’s key flagship fundraising endeavours, and the people of Clare are being asked to continue their long-standing generosity and to lend their support to its work in whatever way they can this year.
The campaign is part of Jack & Jill’s ‘Support Local, Donate Local’ drive, with all money raised supporting local Jack & Jill family homes.

For more information on the work of the Jack & Jill Children’s Foundation, or to find out more about the Up the Hill for Jack & Jill fundraising challenge, visit www.jackandjill.ie or call Jack & Jill on 045 894538. Keep up to date with Up the Hill for Jack & Jill 2021 on social media and follow: Instagram @jackandjillcf; Twitter @jackandjillcf; Facebook @jackandjillfoundation; and LinkedIn @Jack & Jill Children’s Foundation and use #UptheHill2021