Young Leeds patients' delight at huge sack of donated gifts

Children who are spending the festive season in hospital have had a special delivery of gifts '“ thanks to YEP readers.
DONATIONS: Six-year-olds Madeleine-Ava Smith and Eimear Langham donating presents for children in hospital at the carol service.DONATIONS: Six-year-olds Madeleine-Ava Smith and Eimear Langham donating presents for children in hospital at the carol service.
DONATIONS: Six-year-olds Madeleine-Ava Smith and Eimear Langham donating presents for children in hospital at the carol service.

Some 50 patients at Leeds Children’s Hospital have received generous gifts from donors all over Leeds, including YEP readers who attended our Christmas carol service earlier this month.

On December 1, some 700 people packed into Leeds Minster to sing classic Christmas hymns.

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They were also asked to take a gift with them which would be given to deserving youngsters across the city. These included sick children at Leeds Children’s Hospital, situated in the Clarendon Wing at Leeds General Infirmary.

Presents which were handed to the youngsters included dolls, Play-Doh, puzzles, arts and crafts along with bath sets for some of the older children on the ward.

Fundraising coordinator for the project Jemma Richardson said: “They were really, really happy with their presents.

“Nobody wants to spend Christmas in hospital and it just brightens their day.”

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Ms Richardson said the hospital team tries their best to make sure children can have as much fun as possible if they have to spend Christmas Day in hospital.

She said: “We have play specialists who come in on the day.

“The parents also come in and out all the time so we just try and give them a more home-like Christmas. What the YEP and other projects donate helps us to do that.”

Nicola Furbisher, Editor of the Yorkshire Evening Post, said: “I’m delighted to see these wonderful gifts going to such a worthy cause. Spending Christmas at hospital must be awful, 
especially for a child, so we’re delighted to have brightened their days at this festive time of year.

“Thank you so much to everyone who attended our carol service and donated.”

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Leeds Children’s Hospital is one of the largest children’s hospitals in the UK and was established in April 2010. Health services for Leeds children used to be all over region but then came together as one hospital.

Services in the hospital range from physiotherapy and dietetics to speech and language therapy and radiology.

It offers toys, games, books and play specialists on every ward in order to make the young patients’ stays as comfortable as possible.

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