Category Archives: Family Stories

Meet Natasha and Andy and their three children, Nikolas, Iliana and Gabriella. Iliana has an underlying condition that affects many organs and systems but primarily the skin, nervous system and eyes. For her first seven years she had no problems, but then came the moment everything changed. Iliana was diagnosed with an optic nerve glioma

Meet Katie, her husband Tom and their 3 children, Leia, Robin, and Dylan…   Katie, Tom, and their children have been supported by Noah’s Ark since their first child, Leia was a baby. Leia was born in 2019 after what seemed like normal pregnancy. Katie and Tom then discovered that Leia had barely any amniotic

 Meet Jannick and his family; mum Asabea, sister Shaniya and brother Jevan. Asabea also has two older children, Shekel and Joseph.   Jannick has four limb mixed motor disorder which means he is non-mobile, and he also suffers from epileptic fits. Jannick is also non-verbal but expresses his feelings through facial expressions and noises to

Roscoe, Gina and their 12-year-old twins Ray and Arthur have been supported by Noah’s Ark since the boys were babies. When Ray was born, he suffered a bleed on his brain, which has affected his development. Despite his conditions, his wonderful personality shines through. Roscoe explained: “Ray is a real character. He brings light into

“Noah’s Ark has been life changing for my family – I don’t know where we’d be without them.” At Noah’s Ark, it is very rare that we tell a child or family that they can’t do something – we always try and find a way. But a few weeks ago, we did have to tell

“You don’t want someone to solve your problem, because it’s unsolvable, but you want someone to be there.” Before the death of their little boy, George, Elmira and Rupert had never heard of a bereavement suite. When George died in 2021, he was brought to The Ark to stay in our butterfly room, where they

“Noah’s Ark let him be a happy little boy” Romeo is rarely seen without a huge smile on his face. He’s full of beans and he never stops asking questions. For mum, Donna, and dad, Lawrence, it’s like their little boy is making up for lost time. Donna and Lawrence explain: “Romeo was diagnosed with

“Every time they come, we are very sure our children are in safe hands” Nida and Waleed’s family were one of the families photographed by Rankin, and Noah’s Ark has been supporting them for over 10 years. Their eldest son, Hani, and little girl, Maryam, both have conditions that affect their development, but nothing stops

It is important for all parents to experience some child-free moments. Whether that’s to go on a date-night, catch up on life-admin or simply have a lie-in – having some time to yourself when you are a parent is vital. This isn’t always so easy to organise when your child is seriously unwell. This is

Timotei was diagnosed with leukaemia when he was 18 months old and was referred to Noah’s Ark almost immediately. We supported Timotei and his family during his treatment, helping him to enjoy life as a child, not just a patient. Timotei spent hours having fun in the Soft Play Room at The Ark and getting

“If I could describe Noah’s Ark in three words it would be Gift From God.” Destiny-Rae, four, can often be seen whizzing around The Ark in our ride-on toy car with a HUGE smile on her face. She’s an excellent hide-and-seek player, loves to bake cookies and will rarely say “no” to a visit to

Sophie has always loved the water. When she was younger and more mobile, her grandmother, Rose, would often pop a rubber-ring on her so she could enjoy her local swimming pool. As Sophie’s condition has progressed, however, this has become more unattainable and time in the water became few and far between. For the last

There was certainly a buzz around The Ark in September when GCSE results were announced. It was a huge moment for all young people collecting results, including Nasif, who is supported by Noah’s Ark. With support from his Family Link Worker, Jo, Nasif took part in classes via Zoom and connected with his teachers and

Samuel can often be found in the Soft Play room at The Ark with his parents, Robert and Jana, and his brother Freddie (who can be heard just as much as he can be seen!). Samuel, like his brother, is a curious, energetic and playful little boy. When asked what Samuel loves, Jana says: “Samuel

Iliana loves Ed Sheeran, so it was only natural that he was a big topic of conversation during her initial assessment with Family Link Worker, Jo. Following Iliana’s cancer diagnosis she was referred to Noah’s Ark to receive care alongside chemotherapy. During that initial assessment Natasha, Iliana’s Mum, shared with Jo:  “I don’t know what

Manicures and massages might not be the first thing people think of when they think of children’s hospices, but they are exactly the kind of things we provide as part of our truly holistic approach to care. Earlier this year, families from our Parents and Carers Group came to The Ark for some much-needed relaxation