Children's Hospice Week 2025 - Lisa & Jen

This Children's Hospice Week, meet Lisa and Jen, two extraordinary women at the heart of Rebecca House.

With personal journeys shaped by love and loss, they understand first-hand the importance of supporting not just children with life-limiting conditions, but their siblings and families too. Through their work, they help create safe, joyful spaces where families can connect, reflect, and simply be together.

“Lisa works at Rebecca House as a Senior Health Care Assistant and Families of Rebecca House Leader. She brings a wealth of knowledge with her as she used Rebecca House as a parent of a child with a life limiting condition. Sadly, her daughter passed away aged 7 and during this difficult time the support received from Rebecca House staff was invaluable. As a family, she was not only surrounded with compassion and care, but they were also given access to bereavement and psychological support. This included access to the “Youngs Persons Support Service” for her sons, which helped them begin to understand and cope with their grief in a safe and supportive environment. She is passionate about providing support to not only the Rebecca House service users but also their siblings and wider family.

Jen has worked consistently with children throughout her career in a variety of settings including education and youth clubs. These experiences have equipped her with a deep understanding of children’s emotional and developmental needs. She brings a wealth of knowledge and compassion to her role as an NNEB and Families of Rebecca House Leader.

A typical day in our roles can be varied and deeply rewarding. We may be on shift providing respite or end of life care while offering hands on support to families. We also lead and organise activities for siblings. These can range from therapeutic sessions to fun trips and group outings, helping them process their experiences whilst still having space to be children. This balance of care, creativity and emotional support is at the heart of what we do.

Following the success of running the Sibling group and feedback from parents we realised this service needed to be extended to offer support to the wider families. This is when “Families of Rebecca House” was created.

We now work together to create special events and casual drop-in sessions offering parents and carers the opportunity to connect with others in similar situations. These moments not only provide much needed emotional support but also help to foster lasting relationships and a sense of community among families facing incredibly challenging circumstances.

We love our roles because it allows us to be a steady presence during some of the most difficult times in a family’s life. Supporting children whether through Sibling group or simply just being there to listen reminds us daily of the strength and resilience young people have. We feel privileged to help create spaces where they can still laugh, play and feel understood. We also value the connections built with parents and carers, seeing how shared experiences can bring people together and offer comfort. Every day is different and every moment whether big or small holds the potential to make a real difference. That’s what makes this work so meaningful to us."