Demelza has introduced a new role in South London to provide specialist palliative care, advice and symptom control for children and their families.

Community nurse Emily Cooke is working with families in Lambeth, Lewisham and Southwark.  Emily who grew up locally, is part of the Community Children’s Nursing Team who will be providing a 24 hour on call service for children needing end of life care.

She will be offering holistic nursing care and support to children, young people and their families to ensure that they receive the best care, advice and support at a particularly challenging time.

With an estimated 80 families in these three boroughs who might require the services of Demelza this is a crucial role within the community. 

“I am very excited by the opportunity to develop this new service for the children and families in South East London and look forward to being able to ease some of the burden on families who are going through the awful experience of a child dying, ” says Emily.

Bereaved mum Sara Brockett whose son Arthur used Demelza’s hospice in Eltham said: “Finding your feet during the first few days, weeks, months of having a baby is a daunting task whatever the circumstances, but being presented with the fact that your child is terminally ill is utterly devastating. Where do you go for information? Who can provide genuine support? Who can you talk to about how you feel?

“Having been through 12 months of feeling our way in the dark we were eventually guided towards Demelza South East London who provided us with a support network which proved invaluable in providing our son with the very best level of care and supporting our family through the most traumatic experience of our lives. Through our own experience we know how beneficial an outreach nurse could be in guiding parents and families through the period following diagnosis, and how much anguish could be significantly reduced in knowing that you are being genuinely supported through this challenging time.”