Extra comfort for families in PICU
When Harry contracted the flu in 2023, his family were not expecting to end up by his side at the Women’s and Children’s Hospital for months while he underwent intensive care for a life-threatening illness.
Harry’s mum, Meagan, explains, “Last year our family was rocked when our son Harry, at the age of 13, randomly contracted a very nasty Streptococcal Sepsis infection from what started as a simple flu.”
Within two days, Harry went from having the flu at home to being admitted to the Paediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU).
Meagan says, “As parents, both his dad, Ben, and I were very distraught and not really sure what to do, but we knew we couldn’t leave his side.”
A recliner chair next to Harry’s bed brought the family a great deal of comfort during this time.
“In the first few very intense days in PICU, this humble chair was invaluable,” Meagan says.
“It provided somewhere for Ben, myself or other family members to sit by Harry’s side every minute of this journey. From there we could feed him ice chips, scratch his itches and ensure that, when he did occasionally open his eyes, he could see one of us with him.”
“The chair was our comfort, and most importantly it was our bed, allowing for a nap between doctor’s visits without having to leave the room or Harry. While it was only a chair, it helped us be there for Harry.”
Meagan, Harry and Ben with one of the new recliner chairs in PICU.
Meagan says, “Fast forward a couple of months, many ups and downs, lots of support from our family and friends and, most importantly, an incredible amount of courage, patience, resilience and hard work by Harry, we walked out of the hospital and made our way home.”
With Harry back home, the family decided to start a fundraiser to help purchase more of the recliner chairs they found so much comfort from, to support other families like theirs.
Meagan says, “When we return to the hospital for check-ups, I can’t help but think about the children in PICU and their families and consider what they are going through.”
“A simple chair might not directly help the child recover from their injury or find a magical cure for a rare disease they are fighting, but believe me when I say it will help. It will provide comfort when families need it most, and our families deserve this.”
Thanks to an amazing amount of support from the community, Meagan reached her goal, and we helped facilitate the purchase of new recliner chairs for PICU.
Back to all news