Local mum takes part in Race from the North Pole in memory of son Roman

Mum Ellie and Roman’s twin brother Harley, aged 20 months, are taking part in the Helen & Douglas House virtual Christmas fundraiser which they are calling ‘Harley’s race from the North Pole for Roman’. Ellie and Harley are walking four miles for Roman over six weeks.

Christmas is going to look a little different this year for us all, not least for the families at Helen & Douglas House. The hospice is raising money to fund their emergency lifeline of care for local families this Christmas.

You can help by taking on a challenge in their Race from the North Pole. All you need to do is walk, cycle, scoot, hop, or skip 4, 20, 40, or 100 miles, following government COVID guidelines of course, any time before 19th December 2020. The mileage you do will help get Santa to the hospice in time for Christmas. You can do this in one day or over several weeks as part of your lockdown exercise. You can also log your miles and track Santa’s journey to the hospice, on their special web page.

Registration is FREE, you just need to sign up and create your fundraising page. There’s no minimum sponsorship target but if you raise £100, that’s £100 per individual or £100 for a family of up to 5, you’ll receive a fabulously festive medal and there are also great prizes to be won.

This event would not be possible without the wonderful support of Ravensburger who are based in Bicester and are one of the world’s leading manufacturers of puzzles, games and toys. Sindy Randall and Elaine Connell from Ravensburger attended the launch of this event at the hospice recently.

Taking on a challenge in the Race from the North Pole will help local families like Roman’s, who features in the Helen & Douglas House Christmas appeal. Twin Roman, at only a few days old, was given weeks to live. In March 2019 he came to Helen & Douglas House after being diagnosed with a rare genetic heart condition. Roman needed the hospice’s emergency medical care as well as his exhausted family, after spending weeks by his side in hospital, needing emotional and practical support. Parents Ellie and Oli came to stay the hospice with twin brother Harley, Grandma Wendy and Nanna Fran.

As the months went on Roman was admitted back to the hospice on multiple occasions, each one feeling like it could be the last. The Helen & Douglas House Specialist Nurse Becky Davis, also visited him at home regularly and was often at the end of a phone in the middle of the night to help avoid a crisis. Months went by and despite being given just weeks to live, Roman spent his first and last Christmas at home with his family.

Ellie Ratcliffe, Roman’s Mum said 'It felt like a miracle as we got everything we wanted for Christmas. Roman and Harley celebrated together and opened presents. Roman even sat in his highchair for Christmas dinner, the only time he did as he was usually too weak to hold himself up. Thanks to our Helen & Douglas House lifeline, we had the perfect Christmas day.'

Sadly in January 2020, just a few weeks after Christmas, Roman died peacefully at home surrounded by his family. The generosity of supporters like you meant that the team at the hospice could be there to support his family at such a sad time.

Ellie said ‘We were welcomed back to the hospice where we received the vital lifeline of support we needed from the Helen & Douglas House bereavement support team. Roman stayed in their special air-conditioned room, without monitors or tubes, so we could take the time we needed to privately say goodbye to our precious baby boy.’

Becky Davis from Helen & Douglas House said ‘A few months after Roman died, the UK went into lockdown. This immediately changed the way we care for local terminally ill children and their families. Many of our children and families rely on our support but were safely shielding at home. By offering more medical and practical care at home, we have been able to continue to support more of our families and help avoid a crisis. No family should feel alone during an unthinkable crisis with their sick child.’

Ellie speaking about taking part in the Race from the North Pole says ‘Harley is doing so well we’re thinking of upping his mileage. We will probably change it to 20 very soon. Although we can’t be together this Christmas, we hold on to the magic of the twins first and only miracle Christmas together in 2019. Harley will be braving the cold, and his little legs are going to walk him four miles in loving memory of his brother Roman, dressed as Santa clause for part of it.

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‘When Harley is older we want to be able to tell him that he did something so special in memory of his brother Roman at Christmas time, raising money for the place he too called home for the first year of his life. Please take part in this great Christmas fundraiser so this amazing charity can continue to provide the medical, physical and emotional support families for families like ours or make a donation.’

To sign up or find out more about the Race from the North Pole go to: https://racefromnorthpole.helenanddouglas.org.uk/

If you don’t want to take on a challenge but would like to donate to the Helen & Douglas House Christmas appeal go to: https://helenanddouglas.org.uk/christmaslifeline or sponsor Harley https://racefromnorthpole.helenanddouglas.org.uk/fundraising/harleys-race-from-the-north-pole-for-roman