Help us make Dreams Come True
Help us make children’s dreams come true.
“My dream is…”
Help us make a child’s dream come true
We all know that children have dreams. Dreams of being a film star, or a footballer, dreams of fame or fortune, dreams of the latest smartphone or video game, or a trip to Disneyland.
But for many children in hospital – their dreams can be much simpler. The dream to grow up healthy, or happy, a dream to not feel sick, tired or unwell, a chance to do normal things with their friends, a chance to be normal.
With your help, we want to make these dreams come true.
Whether it’s driving to theatre on a mini electric car to get the confidence to get through a scary operation, enjoying activities like Woodland Wellbeing days to bring a bit of sunshine to children going through cancer treatment, or supporting teenagers to manage a mental health crisis by offering art therapy, massage and music with our Wellbeing Service, we want to be there.
Every donation brings us closer to turning those simple dreams into reality for sick children across Sussex.
Can you help make a dream come true today?
“Help us ensure that every child in hospital has the chance to dream, and to see those dreams come true.”
Donna Holland, CEO of Rockinghorse Children’s Charity.
Harry’s Dream…
Anyone with children will understand how important their friends are. Being able to have fun, play or just hang out with their mates is vital to help their social development, boost their self-confidence and support their mental health.
But if your child has cancer, the treatment affects their immune system.
Which means they are much more susceptible to picking up an infection that can derail vital medication. They often can’t go to school, play with their mates or do their normal activities.
Having something fun to do, like woodland wellbeing days, with other kids going through the same experience is really important.
It means they can make friends and just have fun in a safe environment. They don’t have to worry about being the only one going through cancer treatment, or the only one who has to be careful. They can just have fun.
Priceless.
Ben’s Dream…
Navigating your teenage years is a challenge. But imagine adding a mental health crisis that puts you in hospital into this difficult period.
You feel alone, desperate and so different from other people your age. Stuck on a ward with security at the door, with nothing to do but look at their phones which can end up just making things worse.
How on earth do you find any sense of normality?
Our wellbeing service offers young people in hospital a few small rays of light to try and help them feel even a little more normal.
Maybe it’s a massage to help feel a bit less anxious, a musical performance to bring some relaxation to a difficult space, or art therapy sessions to explore their feelings.
These all help to address isolation, break the monotony of the wards and bring even a little normality back into a life that feels far from normal.
Daisy’s Dream…
When you’re young, enjoying sleepovers at your friends’ houses can be the best fun, watching movies, enjoying snacks and just hanging out – it’s all just part of a normal childhood.
But if you have been diagnosed with diabetes, learning to manage it can feel overwhelming and can impact on all the normal things they might enjoy.
You need to monitor your glucose levels, be careful with what you eat and take your insulin. But this can really get in the way of all the enjoyment of a sleepover – what if you eat the wrong thing? What if you forget to take your medication?
So, monitoring exactly what you need to do when you’re away from home can really help make sure everything is covered.
Why it’s important
Rockinghorse directly supports over 190,000 children every year in paediatric healthcare settings across Sussex.
Every one of these children will have a dream but suddenly having to spend time in hospital, or manage a new condition, can mean these dreams get de-railed. Instead of dreaming of fame, fortune, travel or the latest tech, their dreams can change to something much simpler.
A dream to do the usual things that most children take for granted. To feel normal, safe, or not scared.
Having worked to support children’s healthcare in Sussex for nearly 60 years, we know better than most how to help.
We work with the wonderful doctors and nurses within the NHS to find out exactly what projects will have the most impact both on their work and the lives of their patients. These projects impact in so many different ways but the thing they all have in common is making a child’s experience of healthcare as positive and calm as possible.
Our projects cover six different areas: toys, equipment, spaces, research, activities and people. These focus on improving children’s physical and emotional well-being, while providing additional support services for parents and carers.
Watch all the dreams here
How this impacts on treatment
“We have many patients with underlying medical conditions that mean that they feel unable to do sometimes very normal things like go to a sleepover or go on a school trip with their friends.
“They can only dream of doing what appears like a very simple thing to those unaware of their illness. If Rockinghorse could enable them to have a more normal life by supporting them appropriately that would be truly amazing.”
Dr Oli Rahman
Consultant Paediatrician and Lead for the Paediatric Critical Care Unit at The Royal Alexandra Children’s Hospital, and Chair of Rockinghorse Children’s Charity.
Can you help make a child’s dream come true?
What could be better than helping make a child’s dream come true?
Whatever donation you are able to make, it will all help.
It will help Harry have time with his friends. It will help Ben feel normal. It will help Daisy go on that sleepover. It will help Lauren get the pet she dreams of. And it will help Bobbie play football.
And so much more.
*All the videos or children’s experiences are voiced by actors.