Milo Browne, aged five from North Shields, and his family paid St Oswald’s Children and Young Adults Service a festive visit to leave Christmas gifts for all of the children and young adults who benefit from the service.
Milo has been visiting St Oswald’s Children and Young Adults Service for short breaks since 2014. This year Milo’s family decided to say thank you in a very special way by donating gifts that they collected throughout the year. Milo’s Mum, Laura Davidson said:
“We have spent two long Christmases in hospital with Milo. We know first-hand how difficult this time of year can be, it broke our hearts to see so many children in hospital and some alone on Christmas Day. Since then we decided to make sure that children in local hospitals and St Oswald’s have an extra gift to open on Christmas morning.
“This year over 1000 gifts were donated to ‘Our Milo’ for us to give out. We’ve been wrapping them all for the last four weeks and it was lovely to bring a big chunk of them into St Oswald’s.”
Stephen Browne, Milo’s Dad said:
“Milo absolutely loves coming to St Oswald’s, he looks forward to it and smiles as soon as we pull up. They are the only people we trust to look after Milo. He has such complex needs it’s not possible for us to just as a grandparent or friend to step in. When Milo is at St Oswald’s it also lets us spend special time with Milo’s siblings. That in itself is a very special gift and this is our way of giving something back for everything we receive from the Hospice.”
The wrapped gifts and bags were packed full of special age and gender suitable gifts that the Hospice will give out to children that use their service this Christmas and throughout next year.
Carole Dixon, Children and Young Adults Service Manager at St Oswald’s Hospice, said:
“It was such a lovely surprise when Milo’s family turned up with hundreds of carefully selected and wrapped gifts. We’re overwhelmed by their generosity and the generosity of the people who donate the gifts to them. I’m sure the children will be thrilled to receive an extra present this Christmas time.
To find out more about Our Milo please visit www.facebook.com/milothesoldier