Who we support

Abby’s Heroes exists because when a child is diagnosed with cancer, we know it has a devastating impact on the physical, financial and emotional health and wellbeing of the whole family, both during and after treatment and beyond.

Our charity supports children receiving cancer treatment and their families at University Hospital Southampton (one of 21 Regional Paediatric Oncology Centres throughout the UK) living in the Wessex Region which includes Hampshire, Isle of Wight, Dorset, West Sussex, Wiltshire, Surrey, Berkshire and the Channel Islands.

University Hospital Southampton has two wards which we support – the Piam Brown Ward and the Teenage and Young Adult Unit (TYA). The Piam Brown Ward cares for children up to the age of 16 at the time of diagnosis and the TYA looks after young people from the age of 16 to 24 at the time of diagnosis.

Having a child diagnosed with cancer can turn families lives upside down. The child’s life is completely taken over by the diagnosis and family’s world is thrown into utter chaos and panic as they watch their child go through the rigours of treatment. The reality of the future these families face includes months or often years of treatment, often miles away from home and families are often separated for long periods of time as parents need to stay with their child in hospital. Siblings need to be looked after and jobs are put on hold. Inevitably, financial implications start to hit home which puts a massive strain on families as normal life ceases to exist.

To read about how we support families, please go to Our Projects.

Unfortunately, day-to-day life doesn’t stop with a cancer diagnosis. We know we can’t change the course of a child’s treatment, lessen the emotional devastation or solve the financial crisis parents so often find themselves in following their child’s diagnosis but we can be there from the very start of a long and difficult journey and do our best to support families every step of the way.