PASIC

PASIC (Parents Association for Seriously Ill Children) is a registered charity based at the Nottingham Children’s Hospital.  We support families of children and young people diagnosed with cancer, leukaemia, brain tumours and other closely related illnesses who receive at least part of their treatment at the Nottingham Children’s Hospital.

PASIC offers parent to parent support to families throughout the East Midlands, from as far afield as Skegness to Stoke and from North Humberside to Northamptonshire.

When these illnesses are diagnosed the effect on the children and their families can be devastating.  We employ a member of staff who is at the Hospital. Our coordinator visits the wards and clinics and can offer emotional and practical support by being there and showing sensitive concern from a parent’s perspective.  There is also support available on the end of a telephone 24 hours a day to give help where and when it is needed. 

Because the lives of the children and families are thrown into chaos, financial help is often needed.  The support needed by each family is different and PASIC tries to offer help in whatever way it is possible. Parents may have to take time off work, often unpaid; to be with a child or young person in hospital.  The cost of frequent travel is always increasing and there can be many journeys between home and the hospital as families try to be together.  Perhaps help is needed with  the cost of an MOT to keep the family mobile; there may be increased heating and telephone bills to be met if families are spending a lot more time at home; and sometimes child-care costs are incurred for siblings left at home.

 PASIC has the support of its many partners within the hospital; the medical staff, the nursing staff and the social work team, to name but a few.  Working together means that we can ensure families receive the support they need.

PASIC also organises family orientated annual trips and events which provide a welcome break or distraction from the day- to- day routine that a diagnosis causes and also provides families with an opportunity to meet with others in a similar situation in a relaxed and friendly environment.

PASIC provides information via our quarterly newsletter to ensure all service users are informed of activities, research and resources available inside and outside the hospital. www.pasic.org.uk