Remembering Mateo

From the moment Teo was born, not only did he receive the best medical care, but he and our family were taken under the wings of some of the most dedicated and caring people we'll ever meet in the form of charity support.  From warm cups of coffees, advice, hugs and shoulders to cry on at hospitals, home and the hospice; to presents and entertainment for Luca and respite for me and Oli.  It is fair to say that during the most traumatic days of our life, we have been shown extreme kindness, generosity and support which we will forever be thankful for.

The two main charities who have and will continue to provide us with support in years to come and who we cannot say enough positive things about, are Alexander Devine Children's Hospice and Babies in Buscot Support. To say thank you, we are raising money for them in memory of Mateo and in lieu of flowers/gifts at his funeral.  A little about both incredible charities is below:

Babies in Buscot Support
Babies in Buscot Support (BIBS) is the official charity dedicated to supporting unwell and premature newborns at the Royal Berkshire Hospital and their families.  Our charity is run by parents that have had a baby spend time in neonatal care. We have been there too. That is why we care so deeply for the families who walk in our footsteps.
 
Our work focuses in four main areas of activity, which we call keeping Buscot families "SAFE":
 
Support – providing families with independent emotional support and counselling while their baby is on Buscot, and beyond.
Awareness - we help inform parents about what to expect from a stay on Buscot and we fund staff training and development for nursing and medical staff.
Facilities - we refurbish facilities and accommodation on the ward to provide a more homely environment, including overnight parent accommodation. 
Equipment - We fund state of the art equipment for the ward anything from incubators, and ventilators to cooling mattresses which help bereaved parents stay for as long as they wish with their little one should the worst happen.

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Alexander Devine Children's Hospice
Alexander Devine Children’s Hospice Service provides specialist care and vital support to
babies, children and young people with life-limiting and life-threatening conditions, and their families, across Berkshire and into surrounding counties.
John and Fiona Devine set up the charity in memory of their son, Alexander, who passed
away at the age of eight from a rare brain tumour. Their personal experience, and
subsequent extensive research, led them to realise that there was a desperate need for a
local children’s hospice service in Berkshire. We provide a children’s hospice service that
gives children and families a choice of care and support from a skilled and dedicated team.

We offer families day care, overnight respite and splash sessions in the hydrotherapy pool at our children’s hospice in Maidenhead, Berkshire and regular respite in the family’s home,
school or hospital. We provide end of life care, specialist play, physiotherapy, music therapy, counselling, family and bereavement support in the hospice and out in the community.

This year we need to raise over £3 million to maintain our children’s hospice service, and
most of our income comes from fundraising, donations and gifts in Wills. Your support is
helping make a huge difference to the lives of local children and their families – thank you.

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We are also very thankful for the Ronald McDonald, SSNAP and the Oxford Hospital Charities who provided support during Teo's time at the John Radcliffe in Oxford.