Family of sick toddler backs hospice plea

Two-year-old Jacob Leighton, who has Down’s syndrome and was born with a deformed windpipe, needs constant care and his parents are supported by the Forget Me Not Children’s hospice in Huddersfield.

His dad Stephen Leighton, of Ryhill, said: “We found out about the hospice and the support they offer to families.

“It can be hard being a full-time carer, so finding out about the support available to us felt like a big relief.

The hospice supports children across the district with life-shortening illnesses and their families.

Mr Leighton added: “We take each day at a time, Jacob has good days and bad days but he is a very strong-willed little boy and we are always reassured in the knowledge that we have the support of the hospice.”

Staff from the charity visit the family and care for Jacob once every fortnight and offer free counselling and therapy.

The hospice has launched a campaign to raise awareness of the support it offers to children in the district.

Clair Holdsworth, hospice director of care, said: “Over the past 12 months we have seen the number of families we support across West Yorkshire grow to over 130, however we know that with the amount of families who could need our support in the Wakefield area, we are only at the start of our journey.”

To get involved in the campaign follow @forgetmnotchild on Twitter and join in the conversation using #hereforyou or ‘like’ the Facebook page “Forget Me Not Children’s Hospice”.