Latest news
A Christmas Appeal making sure families get support at the most challenging of times
Last year little Amber McRae wasn’t able to spend Christmas with her family. Instead, she spent six weeks in hospital after undergoing gruelling and risky skull expansion surgery. Amber has spina bifida and hydrocephalus and the surgery was the last chance to try and bring down the pressure in her head caused by hydrocephalus and save her life.
SBH Scotland helped to support the family as they navigated this incredibly difficult time. Now Leanne and Amber are teaming up with the charity to launch a Christmas Appeal to raise funds to support other families going through the same thing this year.
Last Christmas, Amber was in hospital with her mum Leanne by her side. Although her dad Paul and her big sister Laila visited daily, it was heartbreaking for Leanne to watch them leave each day and for the family to be apart at this special time of year.
The family was terrified that Amber might not make it:
“I was shaken to the core,” recalls Leanne. “It was a really high-risk operation and there was no guarantee that she would survive it, but at that point we had run out of options.”
“The wait to see Amber after the operation felt like torture. Walking into recovery and seeing my little girl with tubes coming out of her, her hair shaved off, and her head had been cut open from ear to ear was the hardest thing, as a mum, to see.”
When Amber came round after surgery, she was devastated that her long brown hair was gone:
“When Amber saw that the doctors had shaved her head, she burst out crying. Every time she looked in the mirror afterwards, she would cry about losing her hair. She didn’t recognise herself.”
Recovering from the operation was a long and arduous process and Amber was in a lot of pain.
“Spending those days in hospital after Amber had surgery was horrific. She had metal rods in her head that were turned each day to expand her skull, and she was screaming in bed in pain. It was traumatic to watch and was traumatic for Amber to have to experience that pain. It’s nothing any child should ever have to go through. I was utterly devastated and worried what life was going to be like for her after this procedure.”
With everything they had to go through last year, SBH Scotland was there to support Leanne and her family every step of the way.
“When we were in hospital over Christmas, Karen and Mel from SBH Scotland came up with bags of Christmas gifts and I remember them walking in the room and I got so emotional. Seeing their caring faces at this time and knowing they were thinking about us meant the world to me.”
“As the mum of a child with spina bifida and hydrocephalus, it is really emotionally draining. It can be a very scary journey; you never know what’s around the corner. SBH Scotland has been in our lives since Amber was six weeks old. From the first call they understood what I was going through, and they’ve been with us every step of the way since. The support they give means Amber can forget about operations and focus on playing with her friends at their family support groups.”
Since last Christmas, Amber has returned to SBH Scotland’s groups and is back having fun with her friends at SBH Scotland’s family groups, which has been crucial to her recovery.
With Christmas looming, Leanne can’t help but think back to everything they went through last year:
“Last Christmas was horrific, and we were all split up. This Christmas, I’ll be very emotional, thinking back to last year which was really tough.”
The family are looking forward to happier times, hoping to be together this festive season. SBH Scotland’s Christmas Appeal will help ensure that families like Leanne’s have the support they need to navigate challenging times this Christmas.
Deborah Roe, Director of Fundraising at SBH Scotland, said:
“There are many children like Amber across Scotland who need our support and assistance more than ever this year.
SBH Scotland needs to raise £1.4 million each year to ensure we provide essential support services to those living with spina bifida and hydrocephalus. These crucial services rely on donations to survive.
Donating to our Christmas Appeal can make sure families like Amber’s get support in the face of challenges this Christmas. Your support isn’t just a donation – it’s the strength needed for a child to overcome a lifetime of challenges. A chance for our children and families to feel unstoppable.
Any amount you can give will have a big impact - ensuring no one is left to cope alone at Christmas.”
To donate to SBH Scotland’s Christmas Appeal and support families just like Leanne and Amber’s this Christmas, head on over to our Christmas Appeal Page.
RSS
