EVA and Stevan became involved with Very Special Kids in May, 2016, after receiving the devastating news that their 22-month-old son Spencer had an inoperable brain tumour.
Spencer died at the Very Special Kids hospice in July, and one of the ways chosen by Eva and Stevan to remember and honour their little boy was to have a quilt made from his precious clothing and belongings.
Very Special Kids is a children’s charity that helps more than 900 families across Victoria who have a child with a life-threatening condition with ongoing support from diagnosis all the way through to recovery or bereavement. Sadly, many of the children we care for will not reach adulthood.
The free-of-charge family support services include counselling, advocacy, sibling support, bereavement support, networking and peer activities, trained family volunteers and specialist care at Very Special Kids Hospice. Each family is supported in unique and varying ways according to their personal needs.
Very Special Kids Hospice is the only children’s hospice in Victoria and we offer families access to planned and emergency respite, as well as end-of-life care. The hospice provides 24-hour specialist nursing care in a warm and welcoming environment.
“After losing Spencer to brain cancer all I want to do is hold onto precious memories of him,” says Eva.
“I’ve kept all of the clothes he wore often but they’re kept in the cupboard and I feel they get forgotten there.”
Spencer’s special quilt creation was facilitated by Very Special Kids and our wonderful relationship with the Bayside Quilters.
“Having a quilt made by Very Special Kids with some of my favourite clothes that Spencer wore means I can always have it lying around for me to see and to feel closer to him,” says Eva.
“It reminds me of the times when Spencer was happy and healthy and even the times when I got to hold him. Very Special Kids arranged the quilt just in time for when Spencer’s little sister arrived so I can wrap it around her and in a way it feels like Spencer is giving her a hug.”
Story Source: Very Special Kids
Ryan Fritz
Ryan Fritz started The Advocate in 2014 to provide not-for-profits and charities another media platform to tell their worthwhile hard news stories and opinion pieces effortlessly. In 2020, Ryan formed a team of volunteer journalists to help spread even more high-quality stories from the third sector. He also has over 10 years experience as a media and communications professional for not-for-profits and charities and currently works at Redkite, a childhood cancer charity.
