Royal Bank of Canada House is funded by Royal Bank of Canada through Great Ormond Street Hospital Children’s Charity (GOSH Charity)
LONDON, 28 July 2022 – Royal Bank of Canada (RBC) has funded a new family accommodation complex next to Great Ormond Street Hospital (GOSH), which has recently opened. Royal Bank of Canada House will provide parents and carers with seriously ill children with a place to stay, free of charge, just moments from their child’s bedside.
GOSH Charity partner, RBC, has raised £1 million to fund the accommodation, designed to cater to the needs of families whose children require urgent and specialist care, with priority going to those with children in intensive care units, as they can’t stay on the wards with their child. The renovation project has seen an 18th century townhouse on Powis Place transformed into modern, comfortable facilities for around 40 people.
Royal Bank of Canada House features bedrooms of various sizes, kitchen facilities, a quiet room, sitting rooms, and laundry and dining areas, giving families a place to relax and rest away from the busy hospital setting.
The building and renovation of family accommodation close to the hospital is one of GOSH Charity’s key funding areas, and through the generous support of partners like RBC who give to the charity, the hospital can continue to improve services offered to families during what is often an extremely challenging and daunting time. As the hospital treats seriously ill children from across the UK, family accommodation is also crucial for those families travelling from further afield with a child in need of life-changing care.
GOSH Charity’s director of fundraising, Liz Tait, said: “Being the parent or guardian of a child who is seriously ill can be extremely stressful, and the last thing families should need to worry about is where they can stay while their child is receiving life-changing care at GOSH.
“Thanks to our valued partner, Royal Bank of Canada, we can provide hundreds more families with somewhere they can sleep, eat and look after their own wellbeing, in the knowledge that their child is in safe hands just moments away. The new accommodation will be a real lifeline during the most worrying of times for many families and we are thrilled to welcome our first guests.”
Dr Joe Brierley, Consultant in paediatric and neo-natal intensive care at Great Ormond Street Hospital, said: “My team and I look after some of the most seriously ill children in the hospital and, like the rest of our colleagues, deliver family-centred care which is crucial for families with children being treated in intensive care. Children at GOSH don’t just come from London and the South-East, they travel from the whole of the UK, as well as further afield. This means their parents and carers need a space to sleep and recharge, but most of all to be near their child so they can be at their bedside whenever needed – in intensive care, this can sometimes be very quickly, day or night. Family accommodation at GOSH is so crucial to help us deliver the very best care for seriously ill children and their families, so having Royal Bank of Canada House a stone’s throw away from ICU will make an immeasurable difference.”
Dave Thomas, CEO, RBC Europe, said: “The opening of Royal Bank of Canada House is a milestone moment for all of us at RBC. A significant proportion of the £1 million raised has been by RBC colleagues, family and friends who give generously to GOSH every year by taking part in, and fundraising for, RBC Race for the Kids – thank you to them and to GOSH Charity for making the House a reality. We are very proud that Royal Bank of Canada House will provide some comfort for families through incredibly difficult times.”
RBC’s partnership with GOSH Charity started in 2010 with RBC Race for the Kids, a 5km family fun run that was first hosted in Battersea Park and takes place in Hyde Park. In 2019, the London Race became the world’s largest of the 17 RBC Race for the Kids events globally with 10,000 participants. Over the past 12 years, RBC staff, friends and family have raised more than £4 million, making a huge difference to the lives of seriously ill children and their families from across the UK. As well as funding Royal Bank of Canada House, they have also funded the Royal Bank of Canada Neurosciences Unit at GOSH. RBC Race for the Kids returns to Hyde Park on Saturday 8 October, find out more here.
Ella, now aged 12, was born with a rare type of spina bifida after having an open hole at the base of her spine at birth. She went straight into intensive care and was then transferred to Great Ormond Street Hospital when she was only a couple of days old. Ella underwent various surgeries and procedures, including peristeen and ACE procedures, having a Mic key button fitted and a colostomy to help manage her bladder and bowel symptoms caused by the spina bifida.
Moments after Ella, now aged 12, was born, her mum Helen, saw that she had an open hole at the base of her spine. Helen says: “My pregnancy with Ella was fine. I took a high dose of folic acid as there’s a history of spina bifida in the family. Ella’s type of spina bifida is the most severe form of the condition. Her hole is located at the sacral region of her spine, so all the nerve damage is around the nerves responsible for her bowel and bladder. Doctors told us that Ella may never be able to walk or ride a bike.”
Whilst being treated at GOSH, Ella and her family stayed at GOSH Charity-funded accommodation numerous times, which made their long journey from Cornwall to London easier during visits to GOSH. Helen says: “We’ve made use of family accommodation for 12 years, ever since Ella was born, and have used it countless times. We were living in Hertfordshire until Ella was four months old and then moved back to Cornwall where Ella’s Dad and I are from. We knew we’d have to go back to GOSH regularly, but all our support network is in Cornwall so that was the pull bringing us back.
“It would have been so difficult if we hadn’t been able to stay in GOSH Charity funded accommodation; the cost of staying in London is huge. It’s also so useful having the accommodation close by the hospital. Unfortunately Ella has suffered from a lot of complications and there have been a few times where Ella has been discharged and I’ve felt worried that she might become unwell afterwards, so having the hospital so close the night after has been such a reassurance. I don’t know what we would have done without it.”
Ella is still dealing with symptoms but, despite this, is doing really well and enjoys going to school; she’s also an aspiring YouTuber. “Ella is now in year 8 and goes into school four mornings a week as she really struggles with fatigue. Given that she has missed such an incredible amount of school, amazingly, Ella manages to meet educational targets in line with her peers – we are so very proud of her determination.”
Emma Hicks, RBC Communications – Emma.Hicks@rbccm.com / 0792 5127 209
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Great Ormond Street Hospital is one of the world’s leading children’s hospitals with the broadest range of dedicated, children’s healthcare specialists under one roof in the UK. The hospital’s pioneering research and treatment gives hope to children from across the UK with the rarest, most complex and often life-threatening conditions. Our patients and families are central to everything we do – from the moment they come through the door and for as long as they need us.
Great Ormond Street Hospital Children’s Charity needs to raise money to support the hospital to give seriously ill children, the best chance for life. The charity funds research into pioneering new treatments for children, provides the most up to date medical equipment, funds support services for children and their families and supports the essential rebuilding and refurbishment of the hospital. You can help us to provide world class care for our patients and families. For more information visit www.gosh.org
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