Two-year-old William and family to help open new EACH shop

13 Dec Two-year-old William and family to help open new EACH shop

A two-year-old boy and his family who receive care and support from East Anglia’s Children’s Hospices (EACH) are to play a starring role in the opening of the charity’s new shop in Stanway.

William Goodson, mum Emma and dad Andrew, from Messing, will officially open the outlet by making the final snap in a Mexican wave-style series of giant Christmas cracker pulls. The novel process has been thought up to replace the traditional ribbon-cutting as the big day comes less than a week before Christmas, on Thursday, 20 December.

William has Angelman syndrome, a genetic disorder that affects the nervous system and causes severe physical and intellectual disability.

His delayed development means he will never talk and requires significant support in the hope of one day being able to stand and, perhaps, walk.

William also has severe and complex epilepsy that resulted in 30 ambulance rides to hospital in the last 18 months.

He currently requires six medicines in the morning and eight at night, and will always require one-to-one care.

His family were introduced to The Treehouse, EACH’s hospice in Ipswich, in early 2018. William has since benefited from short breaks, hydrotherapy to help build his core strength and motor skills, as well as specialist art, play and music sessions. His parents have received counselling, among other services.

Such is their appreciation of EACH, Andrew took part in Ride for Life, that saw cyclists pedal over 200 miles between the charity’s three hospices, in July.

EACH cares for children and young people with life-threatening conditions, and supports their families, across North Essex, Suffolk and the rest of the region. It costs more than £16,000 a day to run.

In the past financial year, EACH shops generated an impressive profit of over £900,000.