Nancy's Story

Nancy has a younger brother, Teddy, who is 4, and an older sister, Kitty, who is 14. She is non-verbal, is not mobile and can’t use her hands purposefully. She needs support in every aspect of her day to day living and this is given by her mother, Katherine. However, despite all of her complex medical needs, Nancy loves nothing more than spending time at Little Bridge House, dressing up as a pirate or relaxing in the hydrotherapy pool.

Katherine shares that their family, who have been coming to Little Bridge House since March 2019, have created a special bond with the Care Team:

We love our stays at the hospice and out of everybody in our family, Teddy loves it the most. He would live at Little Bridge House if he could!

“When Nancy is at the hospice, she absolutely loves spending time with the Care Team, especially one of her main carers, Tracey. Nancy and Tracey have such a special bond now. They will sit together on the sofa and Nancy loves just listening to everyone chatting. I think she enjoys the company and being involved.

"Nancy enjoys going into the hydrotherapy pool and feeling her muscles relax and also enjoys the Music Therapy sessions. When we first started to go to the hospice, Nancy enjoyed the group music sessions, but as she has got older she finds the group setting a bit& overwhelming and so prefers one on one Music Therapy with Ceridwen, the Music Therapist. It’s great that the Care Team can adapt to her needs.

For little brother Teddy, it’s the socialising that he enjoys during his stays, getting to play with other siblings and hanging out with the Sibling Support Team. 

"He loves to make friends with the other children there, so he spends the entire time with the Sibling Support Team. From the moment he arrives he is in the soft play room, running around and playing with the other children.”

For the family, who live in Exeter, having Little Bridge House in Devon means that it only takes an hour and 20 minutes to travel there to access their hospice stays and support. Katherine uses the time during these precious stays to recharge her batteries and take a break from the day to day work of caring for a medically complex child.

When we stay at the hospice, I know that Nancy and Teddy are being so well cared for, and I enjoy taking some time for myself to go for long walks down to Fremington Quay nearby.

"Sometimes Teddy and I will go swimming, or I’ll take my older daughter Kitty shopping in Barnstaple, but most of the time I try and relax and have some time to myself. I do enjoy chatting to the other families when we are staying, but mostly I like to use the time during our stays just for my own headspace. I spend a lot of time talking about Nancy’s disability in my life, so when I’m there I just like to switch off. I’ll sit in the beautiful gardens or go walking, I go and find a solitary space, I’m very antisocial!”

Leaving Nancy at Little Bridge House on her own used to feel quite daunting to Katherine, however this summer Nancy stayed at the hospice on her own which was a big moment. “For the first time this year I actually left her to be looked after at Little Bridge House and I had a break. I know that Nancy couldn’t be in better hands there, so I will be having breaks on my own more often while Nancy enjoys her stays at the hospice.

“When we first started going to Little Bridge House my daughter Kitty used to come as well, but she feels she has outgrown it now. She finds Nancy’s disability very difficult to deal with sometimes and prefers to keep it at arm’s length. I know that the Sibling Support Team are there for her if she ever needs them or wants to talk about her feelings.”

Katherine feels immense gratitude for having the support of the Care Team, especially following a difficult summer:

"I want to say a massive thank you to the whole team, and especially Tracey. We had a really medically tricky summer, and they just really supported me and helped Nancy get the treatment that she needed. The team advocated for me and we were able to get what we needed. They were just fantastic! I think I would have had a breakdown this summer if it weren’t for them, but they were just there for us when we needed them. Without their support, I wouldn’t be where I am now."