Kate Middleton meets seriously ill children as she takes Princess Diana's former role
The Princess of Wales has visited seriously ill children and grieving parents at a children's hospice in Wales today. The princess is carrying out engagements in Wales showcasing the work of long-established organisations with community at their core.
She arrived to meet families at Tŷ Hafan children’s hospice based in Sully, near Cardiff, which supports families in Wales to ensure that children with life-shortening conditions live fulfilling lives, this afternoon (January 30). During the visit it was announced that she will be made patron on the charity, an honour that Princess Diana held in the 1990s, reports WalesOnline.
The engagement is the first the princess has carried out since being diagnosed with cancer last year. Pictures from the visit show Kate meeting patients at the hospice, including five-year-old Oscar who was diagnosed with CHARGE syndrome, a rare multi-system condition which results in severe global developmental delay and epilepsy. He lives at home with his mum Bryony in Carmarthen area.
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She also spoke to the family of Savanah-Bleu O'Brien, from Capel Llanilltern, Cardiff, who has a progressive brain disorder called leukodystrophy which stops her from talking, walking, and eating properly.
Wales Online reported that the Princess of Wales asked: “What is she like when she’s here?” Savanah's family said: "She absolutely loves it." They told the Princess that she recognises people when she visits the hospice. “She’s thinking, ‘This is a new voice I don’t know who has their hand on my knee’."
In pictures shared with the ECHO the princess can also be seen painting with four-year-old Maggie, who had her hand print painted with Kate before she left the hospice.
Tŷ Hafan's commitment to families is to provide holistic support, focusing on the physical, emotional, social and spiritual needs of the children in its care and their families.
The charity is also focused on fostering connections, creating a feeling of community that ensures children and families feel more supported through their shared experiences.
Tŷ Hafan opened the doors to its hospice in 1999, becoming the first children’s hospice in Wales. It provides free care and support to children with life-shortening conditions and their families, both within the hospice and in homes and communities.
The visit comes just one week on from Prince William's visit to Liverpool where he went to the Tiber centre on Tagus Street, Toxteth, and met members of the Tiber Young People’s Steering Group to learn how they came together to lead the construction of a lively hub and ensure its development was rooted in its community.