Each year around 150 children in Yorkshire are diagnosed with cancer. Can you give a regular gift to help Candlelighters support these children and their families?
You don’t have to do something big to have a life-changing impact. By giving a regular gift to Candlelighters, your donations will help us make a real difference to the lives of children and their families when faced with a cancer diagnosis.
Together, we can improve the outcomes and lives of children with cancer through vital research projects, and support ordinary families facing extraordinary circumstances through the delivery and development of our family support services.
Why a Regular Gift?
Regular gifts help us to plan for the future and ensure that money is available where and when it is most needed, keeping our candle burning and bringing light and hope to our families, now and long into the future.
By Giving a Regular Gift, you can Help Families like Ralph’s
When Ralph was diagnosed with t-cell lymphoma in 2017 aged six, life changed overnight for his parents and three sisters. Not only did his diagnosis come as a complete shock, as Ralph had always been in good health, it marked the start of three and a half years of gruelling treatment which would make him very unwell and immobile almost straight away. Ralph’s mum, Cleo, said, ‘Looking back, those first few weeks were so frightening and traumatic, it all feels like a bit of a blur.’
When Ralph was admitted to hospital, Cleo and Ralph’s dad, Thornton, were forced to take turns staying with Ralph and caring for their daughters, who were upset at the family being split up. In and amongst this anxiety and upset, Ralph’s dad, who owns his own business, also had to try and fit in some work where he could in order to keep both his business and the family finances ticking over.
Entirely through donations from people like you, we were, and continue to be there for Ralph and his family. In those first few weeks after diagnosis, we were able to provide a financial grant to ease the burden of mounting costs at a very stressful time, and throughout Ralph’s time in hospital, we funded play support and resources, as well as presents and activities on birthdays and Christmas. Cleo adds, ‘It’s Candlelighters that made the ward a warm happy place, which we were proud to call our second home’.
Ralph’s family have all benefitted from our peer support groups, including his mum, dad, and sisters as well as talking therapy sessions to support mental health and a variety of our adapted online support throughout the COVID-19 pandemic – all of which was funded by your incredible donations. Thanks to supporters like you, we can be there for Ralph’s and every other family who receives that life-changing news that their child has cancer.