Ty Hafan Children’s Hospice: My wonderful visit

A few days ago I was invited to have a tour of Ty Hafan in South Wales which made me feel very privileged. 

We were met by Bethan, one of the team and offered refreshments before the tour started. My view of the hospice was very different from what I imagined it to be. From the moment we were greeted it felt like more of a hotel than a hospice which is by design I was to find out later. Another thing that I instantly realised was what a happy place it is and that it feels so full of life. 

Another member of the team, Jenna, started our tour with a brief history of when and who started the hospice. Jenna also said they don’t use medical cleaning fluids. The reason being is that children feel like it’s a home not a hospital because after all they spend a lot of time in hospitals.

The hospice started in 1999 and the driving force behind it was one lady, Suzanne Goodall. She spent 11 years fundraising and Ty Hafan children’s hospice opened its doors in 1999 and became the first children’s hospice in Wales. 

We were first shown the family rooms where parents can stay and use it simply to have a good nights sleep, while their children are cared for by the staff. Siblings of sick children can also stay.

All the rooms look out toward the sea and have fabulous views. Along the corridor was a family room with pool table, games console and lovely seating areas to just chill. 

We moved downstairs and the first thing we saw were some photo frames with lots of photos of families.

We then moved along and saw what was described as a sort of den, where teenagers can talk about their fears and their conditions while maybe playing on the games consoles and talking to other children that have the same fears. 

There is then a care unit, but we were not able to visit this area because there were two babies just transferred from a neonatal unit. 

All of the families who spend time at Ty hafan put their handprints on the walls along with the year they stayed and there is an incredible amount of handprints. Such a fantastic idea. 

We then moved on and saw a state of the art hydrotherapy pool which is heated to a perfect temperature. It also has a winch to help the children in and out of the pool.

There is also has a music room which has a machine where children can make music by flickering their eyelids. Next door was a craft room which was brilliant and on the wall was a canvas painting done by wheelchairs and apparently they sell in art galleries.

We then moved outside to a play area which was truly awesome. You could tell that so much thought had gone into its design. A lot of children are in wheelchairs, so it’s been designed with that in mind. It has a wheelchair race track, wheelchair friendly swing and swing trampoline, plus many other things to give children that little bit of an adrenaline rush that they wouldn’t normally get because your local park doesn’t offer this. 

We then walked back through the communal dining room where the children and their families can have dinner together. There was also a large play area. 

We then went back to the reception. Cath and Jenna chatted to us about different things the hospice offer the children who get a minimum of two visits a year and sometimes more if required.

Their rooms are decorated exactly the same for each visit so they feel at home and it feels like their room. They also offer emergency admissions. 

The help from Ty Hafan doesn’t stop at the hospice as they also offer help in the community and that can also go on after a child has passed away. There is also a sibling councillor for brothers and sisters of sick children and this is for the whole of Wales. 

Ty Hafan has just 4% government funding. The other 96% is funded entirely by the general public and they do this in many ways such as a lottery, fundraising events and also donations from companies and individuals.

To donate please click here. 

My overall opinion of Ty Hafan is that it is a brilliant place of security for children, who through sickness feel vulnerable.

It has a team of dedicated staff who are trying to make a difference for sick children and support families Although I have only been asked to be involved with the Precious Moments Campaign after my visit I know I want to be involved more and help in any way I can.