Michelle's Story - What it means when you give to Cholmondeley Christchurch Charity.

We were just an ordinary happy family, both my husband and I with ordinary jobs and three beautiful children. What happened four years ago turned our lives upside down. Our kids’ childhoods could have been tainted by adult worries, sadness and stress, but instead, Cholmondeley has given our children a chance to make magical memories despite the hardship at home.

I am asking you to please read my story and take a minute to support this world-class Christchurch Charity, A service we are so lucky to have in our region.

How this Christchurch Charity helped my family.

Four years ago my kids’ Dad got diagnosed with cancer. It’s been a really terrible rollercoaster for us all, but especially for the kids. Our lives are now filled with hospital trips, treatments, fear and dealing with the repercussions of a changing Dad, both physically and mentally due to the cancer.

What worried us the most is what the kids might see or overhear, and how our daily grief and stress would affect their innocence and chances of retaining a positive view of the world.

Our extended family lives a long way away so we were not able to give our kids a break, but we really needed to find a solution to ensure our kids’ happiness. We reached out to Cholmondeley and this was the best thing we could have ever done. No piles of paperwork, help is just a phone call away, literally. The kids are not missing out on school as they provide education on site.

Most importantly, what could be a really terrible experience, is instead one of joy, calm and adventure.

Our kids count down the days to go back to this magical wonderland and introduce themselves as ‘Cholmondeley Kids’! It also gives us some space to let our tears flow and sort out the hard parts.
I share this because often when we donate to charities it is without a clear picture of what it really means. When you donate to Cholmondeley, this is what it means. It means among many things that families in crisis are getting a huge level of support and kids like ours are able to make happy childhood memories even when terrible things are going on for them at home.

Please consider making a special Christmas donation to Cholmondeley today to support families in crisis, and to ensure kids like ours have an amazing place to go to when times are tough at home.

Thank you Cholmondeley and a special thank you to you, the donor, for making it all possible.

Kind Regards

Michelle