There is a moment every parent of a seriously ill child remembers – the second their world splits into “before” and “after” diagnosis. When normal life stops and something harder begins. Things they’ve always taken for granted such as celebrating the festivals together as a family are no longer a given. The impact of a serious childhood illness looks different for every family, but what follows, the hospital appointments, the treatment, the fear, the pressure on day-to-day life – that part is universal.
This is where Camp Simcha steps in – here to help families trying to cope with everything around the diagnosis, parents trying to hold family life together while their world is falling apart. As the Jewish community’s charity for families with a seriously ill child, Camp Simcha offers 25 different services, providing practical, therapeutic and emotional support, designed to make a critical difference exactly when it is needed.
Here we share an insight into a few of those services.
It all begins with the family liaison officers
Every family Camp Simcha supports is assigned a family liaison officer (FLO), someone who walks in when everything is uncertain and the family is at their most vulnerable and they listen.
“No two families’ needs are the same,” says Sam Charles, one of the charity’s FLOs. “We go in with open arms, not a plan. We learn what life looks like for the family, where they are struggling and see what they’re not saying out loud. And then we build a bespoke package of support around them because we know one size doesn’t fit all – a plan that works for one family may not be right for another.”
From that relationship, everything else follows. It’s the FLO who notices when a parent is running on empty, whether that’s delivering crisis meals during particularly difficult periods, organising respite for exhausted parents caring for their child 24/7, or arranging therapeutic art or counselling for a struggling sibling. The FLO is there to ensure nobody is falling through the cracks.
The siblings
When all eyes are on the seriously ill child, there is almost always someone standing just out of the frame, a brother or a sister, still going to school, still doing homework, trying to be brave.
Often, they learn to not make a fuss. To not add to the daily worry.
Camp Simcha’s sibling support programme exists because no child should have to carry that alone. Through dedicated retreats, counselling, Big Brother and Big Sister volunteers, therapeutic art and sibling groups, Camp Simcha makes space that belongs entirely to the sibling, not to the illness.
Summing up the impact of sibling retreat, one mum whose three children attended said: “When they came back, they were all smiles. They looked fresh and looked after. I could see they were just recharged.”
The financial pressure
Serious illness exacts a huge toll on a family. Not just emotionally but practically and financially.
Often a parent needs to reduce work hours or stop entirely to be at their child’s side. Bills don’t pause and accessing financial support or benefits can be complex and time-consuming. A family that is already stretched thin can struggle to suddenly navigate mounting financial pressures, alongside the overwhelming bureaucracy and paperwork that often accompanies these.
It’s not the part of Camp Simcha’s work that gets talked about much, but for a family already carrying more than they should have to, the input of FLOs and social workers signposting on benefits and even advocating for families on occasion can dramatically ease some of the pressure. For some parents this support can make the difference between just about coping and not coping at all.
No one is alone with Camp Simcha
These are just a handful of its services, 25 in total, all shaped around one premise: that the best way to support a seriously ill child is to be there for the whole family.
Somewhere in the community a family’s High Holy Days may be very different from last year’s, but Camp Simcha can make a critical difference supporting them through their journey.
If you, or a family you know could benefit from Camp Simcha’s free and confidential support, email office@campsimcha.org.uk or call 020 8202 9297, campsimcha.org.uk
Registered charity 1180646