Introduction

In 1992, Dr Ann Wallace, Community Paediatrician for the Chichester area, and Ward Sister Beth Connolly, asked families of sick children what their needs were when they left hospital and returned home.  They found:

• Parents wanted to know more about their child's illness
• Parents wanted to be shown how to care for their child e.g. feeding through a nasal gastric tube
• Parents needed a qualified nurse to care for their child, to give them time to care for other members of their family, or to give them a chance to have some time off for themselves
• Parents needed financial help - caring for a very sick child can put huge demands on resources, as invariably one parent will have to give up work

With no funds available to help these special families, in 1993 Co-Founders Kate Shaw, Diana Levantine and Frank Snell (who sadly died in April 2004), set up The Sussex Snowdrop Trust and its special Care at Home Team.