Liverpool mum urges city to support Claire House Children's Hospice

A Liverpool mum has urged her city to get behind its local children’s hospice as she paid an emotional tribute to her daughter.

Hayley Smallman’s daughter Holly spent her life under the care of Claire House Children’s Hospice until she died aged 18.

She told how the hospice teams, who help seriously and terminally ill babies, children and young adults, created precious memories and continued to wrap their arms around them after her special, inspirational and pink-loving girl passed away.

While both sites – Wirral and West Derby – are a lifeline, it’s the latter that Hayley feels her fellow Liverpudlians should particularly get behind.

Hayley, from Aintree, says:

“Claire House was home to us. It was a place I could fully breathe. At the end, I don’t know what I’d have done without them.

“Holly was born with a series of serious medical problems. When she died, the first call I made was to Claire House, they were like our family.

“Liverpool needs to own Claire House in the same way Wirral does. Liverpool is amazing at taking ownership of our football clubs, we now need to own our children’s hospice in West Derby.

“And let’s face it, we need a children’s hospice even more than we need football!”

Mum Hayley at An Afternoon with Claire House

Hayley, who is also mum to Josh, 25, and Ruby, 16, adds:

“A children’s hospice isn’t a luxury, it should be seen as a necessity to our city.

“The moments Claire House gave us with Holly, and as a family, will be locked in my heart forever. But I’m not unique, there are so many families needing help, we’ve got to do this for all the little Hollys out there.”

Hayley bravely shared her story to a packed room at The Venue at the Royal Liver Building as part of An Afternoon with Claire House.

The sparkling afternoon tea event, organised by and for the charity, also featured a Q&A from Mowgli founder Nisha Katona, who supports the hospice.

Interviewed by radio presenter Leanne Campbell, Nisha told how having a charitable backbone to her business gives her teams a sense of purpose.

The barrister-turned-TV chef also spoke about her own journey, as well as sharing some foodie secrets and celebrity gossip from This Morning.

Nisha said:

“Claire House feels like a child I’ve adopted. It’s an amazing charity, it changes the lives of so many incredible families.

“Supporting Claire House gives me and Mowgli such a sense of mission and meeting mothers whose children have been helped by the hospice was so enlightening.

“If anyone wants to support our region’s seriously and terminally ill children, their siblings and their families, they should contact Claire House to see how their business can help and, in doing so, make their own lives so much better.”

Claire House in West Derby, which opened to families in January 2018, offers day-care, complementary therapies, clinics, play and music sessions, and counselling.

But the charity has a long-term dream to develop services to offer respite and end of life care from West Derby.

As well as raising awareness for Claire House Liverpool, An Afternoon With Claire House – supported by businesses such as Tatti Lashes, ChloBo and Think Wine – raised £12,720 for charity.