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Harry’s Story

"I can honestly say camp healed our entire family."

Watch Harry's Story

The Devastation of Childhood Serious Illness ↓

Childhood illnesses turn a family’s world upside down, taking away the peaceful childhood that the child deserves as they grow up. It takes a child away from the things they enjoy, and thrusts them into a sterile world of hospitals and treatment. At Barretstown, our mission is to reverse this; to give them a place where they can smile, laugh & play, away from the struggles of their illness. Our programmes give them back hope. One child and his family who have experienced this is Harry. Read on to see how Barretstown helped him and his family to heal.

Harry's Illness

Harry's Illness

Harry was just days old when his parents, Noelle & David, were told that there was a problem with his heart. Four days after he was born, he went into cardiac arrest. He was rushed back to hospital and put on a ventilator. Harry was diagnosed with a hypoplastic left heart, a rare congenital defect that affects blood flow through the heart. This diagnosis changed everything for their family.

Time Spent in Hospital

Time Spent in Hospital

Harry's journey with his illness took many difficult turns, with surgery required, after which he suffered a stroke, and was diagnosed with a mild form of cerebral palsy. Even now, years later, Harry requires significant medical attention, meaning a lot of time spent in hospitals, a place he hated. But this was where he first met the Barretstown Outreach team, and that's when everything changed.

The Impact of Barretstown

The Impact of Barretstown

Every child deserves to feel excited by life. And everyone caring for a child who’s seriously ill deserves to have the weight lifted from their shoulders – even if only for a while. For Harry and his family, ''Barretstown allowed us to press pause on our worries and focus on being a family again.''

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