Children’s hospice celebrates thirty years
BY BUZZ
Photo by Kate Raworth of Ethan and his mother Jenny
Helen House has been providing hospice care for children for thirty years and have arranged a free ‘We are Thirty’ photo exhibition to celebrate.
The exhibition will take place at The Old Fire Station Gallery, Henley, between 25 and 30 October this year and at The River & Rowing Museum, Henley, between 9 February and 14 April next year.
The charity says that the exhibition will reflect the stories of the children, young adults and their families who visit Helen & Douglas House. Photographs were taken by three photographers of 30 families who visit Helen House (for children from birth to 16) and Douglas House (for young adults from 16 to 35).
Ethan (pictured), from Henley-on-Thames, is one of the children who will be featured in the exhibition. Aged 17, Ethan lives with his family and visits Helen House. The photo shows Ethan using his technique of putting his hand to people’s throats so he can feel them talk and sing.
His mother Jenny said “There is no name for Ethan’s condition and I prefer it that way. Ethan can’t go out in the sunshine as it triggers his epilepsy so there are a lot of things that we don’t do, but with Helen House there’s also a lot we can do.”
Jenny adds ‘I’m very proud to be part of the 30th anniversary photo exhibition and to have a picture of my boy looking so beautiful; so alive and so dynamic. There’s an intimacy in the photograph that people wouldn’t get if they saw Ethan in his wheelchair unable to speak and clearly so disabled. The photograph really shows who he is – I’ll keep it forever.”
For more information go to http://www.helenanddouglas.org.uk/
