Fund “Sleepy Lambs” aka TLC teddies for children in A&E

On 10th July, exactly a week after she turned 3, Daisy had an unexplained seizure while she was at nursery. The staff called me and as we fortunately live over the road and were both at home, we were able to be with her immediately. It was terrifying to witness but the nursery staff were amazing and the ambulance arrived in ten minutes. Once the paramedics were dealing with her, I ran and grabbed some things from home I thought she would need including her Paddington teddy bear, before we were taken to Sheffield children’s hospital. Once we were there and she had been assessed, I realised Paddington had gone missing from the bag (turned out I’d dropped it in nursery so not lost forever!). One of the nurses kindly found a teddy to keep Daisy company which, when she was feeling more herself a few hours later, she named “Sleepy Lamb”. Sleepy Lamb is now her favourite and always her first choice to cuddle.

It was only a few weeks later when I spotted something on one of the many fundraising or charity pages I follow, that I realised Teddies for Loving care are provided for children in A&E departments for the exact reason Daisy had been given hers - to provide comfort for children.

Daisy has unfortunately had two more seizures since so we are now waiting for more tests to (hopefully) rule out anything scary, and likely confirm that she has a form of epilepsy.

I’m fundraising so more children can receive their own Sleepy Lamb in similar situations. I have a love/hate relationship with running. I had considered training for the 10K before my big birthday before the end of the year, but I couldn’t even finish Couch to 5K (although I have done it once before)! So instead, I’m going to attempt to run 1K a day for a month. This might not be a lot to some people, but it won’t be easy for me.

I had planned to start on 1st October, but literally as I was getting my running things together and about to head out, the deputy manager of the nursery was at our door telling us Daisy was having her third seizure. I managed to start on 3rd October so I’ll make up that other 2K along the way.

They say having a seizure is like running a marathon, and Daisy has certainly been exhausted after each one so far. If her little body can deal with that, I can run 30K in a month.

£10 funds about three teddies. I’d love to fund 100 teddies which would be £350 ish but I’m starting the target low! I’m doing it through Go Fund Me so I can hopefully ask TLC to donate the teddies to Sheffield Children’s A&E department.