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AN inspirational nurse from Teesside nominated one of her patients for the trip of a lifetime after the brave youngster lost his mum last year.
Helen Gilpin, Roald Dahl paediatric epilepsy nurse specialist at South Tees Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, joined five-year-old Lenny Wilans Jobson and his family on a special visit to London to meet Her Majesty The Queen back in December.
The brave youngster from Middlesbrough who receives specialist care from Helen for his childhood epilepsy at The James Cook University Hospital was invited to enjoy a special Christmas lunch at Clarence House with Roald Dahl’s Marvellous Children’s Charity. The Queen is the charity’s Royal Patron.
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Roald Dahl nurses like Helen are specialist senior nurses based in NHS trusts across the UK. They are supported by the charity to work with families to provide a bespoke, holistic kind of care for children and families living with some of the most serious and complex lifelong health conditions.
Lenny was one of five families nominated by their Roald Dahl nurses to enjoy a whole host of surprises at Clarence House including a special visit from Santa, live music from the Bugles of the Rifles and the opportunity to help The Queen decorate the Christmas tree.
Helen has been providing specialist care to Lenny since March last year when the youngster was admitted to the Paediatric Critical Care Unit (PCCU) at James Cook following an increase in seizures.
Lenny also has a rare genetic and life limiting disorder called FOXG1 which affects brain development. When Roald Dahl’s Marvellous Children’s Charity invited their Roald Dahl Nurses to nominate one of their patients for the Clarence House visit on Thursday 12 December, Helen put forward Lenny.
Helen said: “Nobody was more deserving of this special Christmas treat than Lenny. He is such an incredible little boy who has overcome so much in his life already and always lights up every room he walks into with his cheeky smile.
“I cannot thank the Roald Dahl charity enough for all their continued support throughout the year and for making dreams like this come true for Lenny.
“From the incredible multi-sensory experience at Frameless to the magical Christmas treat at Clarence House, I feel extremely lucky to have been able to experience this alongside Lenny and his family and the other deserving children who came along with their Roald Dahl Nurses to this special event.
“It really was a once in a lifetime trip that none of us will ever forget.”
Helen became a Roald Dahl nurse for South Tees Hospitals back in June 2024. As part of her role, she helps families like Lenny’s navigate through the challenges that living with epilepsy may bring by providing them with specialist clinical and emotional support and resources, accessed through the charity.
Helen is now one of four specialist Roald Dahl nurses working at South Tees Hospitals and one of 40 specialising in epileptic care across the UK.
She works very closely with the charity who are fundraising to establish more Roald Dahl Nurses across the UK.
She said: “Since working alongside the Roald Dahl charity I can hand on heart say I have been able to provide the best possible support to our patients and their families.
“The more Roald Dahl nurses we have working across our NHS trusts, the more we can help to reduce the impact epilepsy has on children and their families including physical, emotional, social and financial.
“Providing this specialist care in the community can in turn reduce their number of trips to our hospitals.”
For more information about Roald Dahl’s Marvellous Children’s Charity and the work Roald Dahl Nurses do visit www.roalddahlcharity.org.uk
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