Help for children facing unexpected hospital stays
BBCA charity is working to support families who have unexpectedly ended up in hospital due to childhood illness.
The Bradley Lowery Foundation has partnered with the Family Hub at Newcastle's Royal Victoria Infirmary (RVI) to provide hampers, which will be filled with everyday essentials for parents and children.
The charity began in memory of Bradley Lowery, a Sunderland fan from County Durham who died in 2017 from neuroblastoma, a rare cancer which affects children.
CEO of the foundation and Bradley's mother Gemma Lowery said the idea for the "hero hampers" came from the numerous times she was rushed into hospital during her son's illness.
"Sometimes we used to come in and it was an emergency, we used to think we were just stopping in for the day and then end up staying in overnight," she said.
"We used to have to go buy pyjamas and toiletries, and it is quite stressful, not to mention obviously the financial impact on the families."
Bradley - who would have celebrated his 15th birthday earlier this month - became known globally as the mascot for Sunderland and building a close friendship with the team's former striker Jermain Defoe.
The hampers will be given to families facing last-minute hospital stays or who need extra support during an unexpected admission.
While each hamper will be different depending on the family's needs, they could include everything from pyjamas, toothbrushes, toothpaste and deodorant, to nappies, baby wipes and sanitary towels.
Rebecca Humphreys, who leads the Family Hub for Newcastle Hospitals, said the "impact of coming into hospital is already very difficult emotionally and financially".
"Often the last thing people are thinking about, when they come into hospital with a poorly child, is that practical side of things," she said.
"If we are able to take that bit of stress away from them, that is hopefully going to reduce a lot of anxiety in those families."
