Fundraising in the Community
After being born on the Island of Orkney in 2024, baby Ronnie was found to have a congenital heart defect. He was rushed to Glasgow, where he spent 17 weeks in hospital, receiving urgent and intensive care from multiple specialist teams. During this difficult time, Ronnie’s parents, Jacqui and Kevin, were given a room at Crossbasket House and have since fundraised over £25,000 for the charity.
Ronnie’s Hospital Journey
“We took an air ambulance to Glasgow on day two after Ronnie turned blue, before spending 17 weeks in the Royal Hospital for Children between NICU and Ward 1E. It was during this stay that Ronnie was diagnosed with Pulmonary Atresia with Intact Ventricular Septum.”
The family live on Orkney, and it would have taken them on average 6 hours to drive down to the children’s hospital, including a lengthy ferry journey.
Crossbasket House: A Home from Home
“We arrived at Crossbasket House not knowing what to expect but instantly felt the warmth and compassion of the staff. We couldn’t believe how amazingly well-equipped the facility was.
The House’s washing machines, tumble dryers and clothes lines were incredibly useful, and the kitchen space was great for making our porridge in the morning to fuel us up for the day.
When Ronnie had open heart surgery and two catheter lab procedures, we had nowhere to wait in the hospital other than the atrium. We were so grateful that we were able to go back to the House and have somewhere private to endure the anxious wait for a phone call to let us know he was out of theatre and back on the ward.
"Taking Ronnie to meet everyone at the house felt like a huge achievement. The team were so excited to see him after weeks of us explaining how he was doing and showing them photos and videos."
Ronnie's Mum, Jacqui
We celebrated Mother’s Day and Easter during our stay, and the team at Crossbasket House left incredibly kind and thoughtful gifts on our doorstep in the morning - small touches which meant a lot in a time of worry and uncertainty.”
Fundraising in the Community
“We fundraised for the house while we were staying there, and when we returned home, our local community rallied together and raised over £25,000. They organised a coffee afternoon and opening a local charity shop on a Sunday, solely in support of Crossbasket House. We will be eternally grateful to our community for their generosity and compassion shown towards our family and such a fantastic facility.”
Jacqui continues to give back by regularly ordering items from our Amazon wish list, helping to provide other families with the same comforts and care they experienced during their time with us.