David Lloyd Cardiff

We make life that little bit easier and more comfortable for families of children being treated for cancer at the children's hospital in Wales. Having a child diagnosed with cancer or leukaemia comes as a devastating blow. Faced with a period of months and sometimes years of gruelling treatment and an unknown future. The related ups and downs are often referred to by families as like being on a rollercoaster. Our free of charge on-site accommodation keeps families together during their child's stay in hospital. As well as hotel style accommodation, we have a communal kitchen, dining, laundry and living room facilities. LATCH offers all families an initial financial support grant to cover their immediate needs and on-going financial support during the years of treatment. Our team of dedicated social workers make sure families receive practical, emotional and financial support. They advise people on claiming for benefits and how to access grants to cover additional expenses, such as travel, heating and extra child care for siblings. We also fund two ward based Support Workers - they offer practical assistance to the families while they are in hospital. They help out with food shopping, collecting siblings from school or keeping the child company when the parents need to leave the hospital or simply need a break - anything to make life a bit easier. Activities and treats can help boost morale and keep children occupied during treatment. When they're in hospital, children really miss the stimulation and structure of their normal daily lives. That's why we give them electronic games, art and craft materials and fund a magician to visit the ward each month. The Social Workers organise regular outings and an annual party to raise people's spirits. It's important that families get chances to enjoyable time together and build memories. LATCH has three caravans based at the seaside. Families can go to the seaside for much needed quality time, while being close enough to medical support should the need arise. We also fund medical equipment and lots of clinical projects. Our aim is always to make children's lives more comfortable on the wards, at home and in the community. This includes specialist buggies to improve the mobility of children who have lost their ability to walk due to treatment. LATCH received no grants or statutory funding and relies solely upon the generosity of the general public to achieve its aims. Thank you for your support!

In May 2018, 16 year old Lucy passed away after a sudden and short battle with sepsis, a rare but serious condition often triggered by infection. Her family established the Lucy Ellis Foundation in her memory to campaign for better awareness of sepsis, raise money for specialist equipment and training for hospitals in Wales, and offer athletics scholarships to help underprivileged children and teens pursue their dreams. In memory of our daughter, we established the Lucy Ellis Foundation with the aims of: 1. RAISING AWARENESS OF SEPSIS According to the UK Sepsis Trust , 44,000 people lose their lives to sepsis each year. But until our daughter was admitted to hospital, we had no idea how serious it could be. Sepsis is a condition where the body’s response to infection injures its own tissues and organs. It’s often triggered by infection, and more common in bacterial infections of the lungs, urinary tract, tummy and pelvis. Without quick treatment, sepsis is life-threatening and can lead to organ failure and septic shock. It’s also estimated that sepsis costs the NHS £2 billion every year. More about sepsis here. 2. LOBBY TO GET WALES’ FIRST ECMO MACHINE AND SPECIALIST TEAM An ECMO facility within an hour of every patient in the UK. Simple. If not Wales then definitely the South West of UK! (Drawing circles around every town that does not have such a facility within an hour and raising awareness) If the Welsh government do not agree (research doc underway) that it is not viable then I will be focusing on the UK parliament to make the change. 3. PROVIDING ATHLETIC SCHOLARSHIPS FOR CHILDREN AND TEENS If you’ve read Lucy’s story , you’ll understand just how much gymnastics meant to her. As such, we’ll also be providing athletic scholarships for children and teens whose families are unable to afford the training, equipment, competition fees and travel costs needed for them to progress and pursue their dreams.

There are 8000 sudden cardiac arrests outside hospital in Wales every year, and only a 3% survival rate. A defibrillator is able to restart the heart during a cardiac arrest, and can save lives. When used, the survival rate can increase to 50%, but a speedy response is crucial. This is the reason we have launched our Every second counts appeal Too many people in Wales are losing their lives to heart disease on a daily basis. With your support we would like to place 500 defibrillators throughout Walesy. We will also be providing free CPR training for schools, businesses and sports clubs. A defibrillator is an electrical device that provides a shock to the heart when there is erratic and irregular beating of the heart or the heart has suddenly stopped beating. A defibrillator provides a high energy electric shock to enable the heart to start beating normally and regularly again. It is a life saving device and saves millions of lives across the world each year. Public Access Defibrillators can be found in public places such as local leisure or shopping centre, gyms, community hall or golf course. It is usually attached to a wall in a briefcase sized box. Defibrillators are very easy to use. Although they do not all look the same, they all function in a similar way. If you come across someone who is not breathing or breathing erratically, the most important thing is to call 999 and to start CPR. If you are on your own, do not interrupt the CPR to go and get a defibrillator. When you can, send someone else to find one. Once the defibrillator is open, all you have to do is follow the spoken instructions. You do not need any training to use one. Sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) is a condition in which the heart suddenly and unexpectedly stops beating. If this happens, blood stops flowing to the brain and other vital organs. The person loses consciousness and collapses. SCA usually causes death if it is not treated within minutes. SCA is not the same as a heart attack. A heart attack occurs if blood flow to part of the heart muscle is blocked. During a heart attack, there is usually chest pain which can spread to the jaw, the arms or the back. The chest pain is usually but not always severe and is often described as tight as a clenched fist pressing inside the chest. During a heart attack, the heart usually does not suddenly stop beating. However, SCA, may occur during a heart attack and can also happen after or during recovery from a heart attack. Unlike Cardiac Arrest or SCA, the patient usually remains conscious and can tell you their symptoms. People who have heart disease, Diabetes or other chronic diseases are at higher risk for both SCA & heart attacks. However, SCA can happen at any age, including the young. With the combined use of chest compressions and prompt use of a defibrillator together with a rapid ambulance response, survival rates increase dramatically.