On a wonderfully sunny day in May, the Sparkes family ventured to Swansea for two highly-anticipated, adrenaline-filled skydives to help raise money in memory of beloved Henry Sparkes.
At just five days old, Henry became extremely unwell and was rushed into hospital. Unfortunately, after days of fighting hard against a virus which developed into sepsis, Henry’s short life came to an end.
During the care of their son, Jenna and Chris met several doctors, nurses, and consultants who felt like they had become family as they were so kind, caring and compassionate.
Jenna said, “After Henry had passed away we got to spend some special time with him, making hand and feet moulds, painting his hand and feet and most importantly having cuddles. We hadn’t been able to have a cuddle for 10 days. There was no timeframe of when we had to leave the hospital and we could spend as long as we needed with Henry.
“This is why we are so passionate about raising funds for the ward. Any way in which we can help the ward and help families going through the same as us, we will.”
To raise funds for the Paediatric Critical Care Unite at Noah’s Ark Children’s Hospital for Wales, Jenna’s mum Trudy took to the skies, along with a family friend who was brave enough to jump! Amazingly, they raised over a whopping £3115!
On June 14th, Jenna, Chris and family visited Ward Manager Nichola and other Health Board colleagues at the Paediatric Critical Care Unit where they discussed how much they have raised to date. They also donated a wide variety of instant-snacks such as soups and noodles, as well as crisps, drinks and porridges for the family room; foods and snacks that meant parents wouldn’t have to leave their children at such a difficult and precious time.
A huge thank you to Jenna and her family for all the wonderful things they have done to support Noah’s Ark Children’s Hospital for Wales. Their dedication and commitment during what has undoubtedly been an immensely difficult time has been appreciated by all those affected.
They are channelling their immense sorrow into positive action, fundraising for causes close to their hearts. In their grief, they are committed to keeping Henry’s memory alive.
To find out more, please visit their JustGiving Page.