Tŷ Hafan Launches Urgent 60-Hour Fundraising Drive
Tŷ Hafan Children's Hospice has launched an urgent new fundraising campaign called the Every Precious Life Appeal, which aims to raise an impressive £400,000 in just 60 hours. The appeal is being fronted by bereaved parents who have personally experienced the devastating loss of a baby and have been supported by the hospice's vital services.
Parents Share Heartbreaking Stories of Loss and Support
Kath Keeble from Merthyr Tydfil is co-fronting the appeal alongside Gwenno George and Luke Nicholas from Cardiff. Kath's son, Tommy, was born prematurely at 31 weeks on October 22, 2022, and tragically died just eight days later on October 30, 2022. The community mental health worker shared her profound grief, stating she never believed her son would die. "After Tommy died my life did fall apart a bit and I became very poorly with suicidal thoughts," Kath revealed. "I just wanted to be with him. Without Tŷ Hafan, I wouldn't be here today."
Gwenno and Luke's son, Emrys Arthur, was also just eight days old when he passed away on March 14, 2024, after being born prematurely at 25 weeks on March 6, 2024. Tŷ Hafan supported the couple to drive their baby son's body to Gwenno's hometown of Criccieth in North Wales, where he was buried. "We had eight days with Emrys," said Gwenno. "It'll never be enough, but we were lucky to have eight precious days." The couple continue to receive counselling and ongoing bereavement support from the hospice.
Critical Need for Baby Loss Services Grows
Dan Bamsey, Head of Fundraising for Tŷ Hafan, explained the critical need for this appeal. Demand for the hospice's services for very young babies has almost doubled. In 2023/2024, they received 21 referrals for babies aged 28 days and under. This figure jumped to 39 in 2024/2025, and in just the first six months of this year, they have already received 22 referrals.
The 60-hour appeal window begins at 10am on Sunday, November 23, and finishes at 10pm on Tuesday, November 25. In a significant boost, all donations made during this period will be doubled thanks to a match-fund pot established by the charity. This means every pound donated will have twice the impact.
The public is urged to visit www.tyhafan.org/everypreciouslife during the appeal dates to donate whatever they can. As Dan Bamsey emphasised, "No family should have to live their child's short life alone." The funds raised will directly support more families of children with life-shortening conditions, providing them with the compassionate care and bereavement support they desperately need.
