Remembering Jessica: Pauline and Chris' Story
"We arrived at the Royal Hospital for Children in Glasgow as first-time parents with our 10-day-old baby girl, Jessica. Instead of the joyful start to life with a new baby that we hoped for, we were faced with a life-threatening diagnosis of congenital heart disease and had to prepare ourselves for Jessica to undergo open-heart surgery the very next day.
"Because Crossbasket House was completely full the week we arrived, we spent our first nights being accommodated in empty rooms throughout the hospital, which we had to vacate each morning. Jessica’s first open-heart surgery took over 20 hours. We cannot describe how horrific it was to have nowhere to go, no place to rest and process our fear, on one of the hardest day of our lives. After five days, a room finally became available at Crossbasket House. We cannot put into words the relief of being given a quiet room, a comfortable bed, an en-suite bathroom, and access to cooking facilities after living on Marks & Spencer’s sandwiches for nearly a week.
"When you have a critically ill child in intensive care, your life becomes chaotic. There is no structure; you live hour by hour. You quickly become an expert in your child's condition and feel an overwhelming need to be close to them at all times. Normal life stops existing. Crossbasket House gives parents: a sanctuary right next to their child. It means being able to reach the hospital in a matter of minutes if you receive an emergency middle-of-the-night call. Crossbasket House became our home in every sense of the word for 10 months. We even celebrated birthdays and Christmas there.
"Crossbasket House is not a sad place; it is a place full of hope and support, where although everyone travels there in different ships, they quickly find themselves in the same boat, guiding each other through the toughest days."
"During our long stay, Jessica underwent a further four open-heart surgeries before finally being discharged home. Once we settled into family life, we reflected deeply on what Crossbasket House had given us. We had literally turned up on their doorstep with nothing but the clothes on our backs, and we were given a room for free, for as long as we needed it. Because of this, we began fundraising.
"As a family, we have already raised over £16,000 to give back a little to this incredible charity which help us so much and helps keep families together. Crossbasket House was our lifeline when our world was tearing apart, Sadly Jessica passed away in 2020 at the age of 2 years two months but as a family we want to continue to play our part to ensure Crossbasket House remains a lifeline for the next family who walks through their doors in pieces. So far, my family have cycled around Loch Ness, done a virtual cycle during Covid, zip line across the River Clyde, Glasgow Kiltwalk, made and sold Christmas decorations and my brother successfully completed an Ironman event in Italy in September 2024.
"This year it’s the turn of the younger members of the family to do their bit, Jessica’s big and wee cousins and her wee sister “Granny and Grandads Gang” who will take part in the Edinburgh Kilt Walk Wee Wanders in memory of Jessica and in aid of Crossbasket House."