Help is on hand for seriously ill children (From The Wiltshire Gazette and Herald)

Help is on hand for seriously ill children

Swindon families caring for sick children can now get help from the Rainbow Trust children's charity.

The trust is a unique organisation that provides a vital service in the community to families who have a child with a life-threatening or terminal illness.

Specially trained care teams offer practical and emotional support to all family members not only the sick child, but the siblings and parents, too.

The service was launched in the Swindon area in July 2003 and is registered with the National Care Standards Commission as a Domiciliary Care Agency.

The office is based at 39, Bath Road, Old Town.

As well as care at home, for families who live in the West Wiltshire, North Wiltshire, Kennet and Swindon areas, short breaks are offered at the Trust's two respite houses, in Surrey and Fernstone near Newcastle.

Here, families can get a break from the day-to-day pressures of illness and hospital treatment.

Many of the children referred to Rainbow Trust have a cancer-related illness and treatment can be long and difficult, others have degenerative or neurological conditions.

Requests for Rainbow Trust's help comes from a variety of sources including community nurses, health visitors, GPs, children's hospices and children's units in hospitals.

Call 01793 619096 for more information.