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Whether you want to boost staff morale, give back to your local community, or enjoy a new perspective on a well-loved beauty spot, sign up to Castle Night Trek to enjoy a challenging, magical night trek through the grounds of Herstmonceux Castle on Saturday May 13th 2023.

Starting at sunset, participants will walk from day to night, refl ecting the 24-hour nature of the care Chestnut Tree House offers to local children with life-limiting conditions and their families.

Tiger-Lily is a sociable and fun-loving five-year-old who loves horse-riding, going to festivals and playing with friends. But when she was just six weeks old, Tiger-Lily had to be fi tted with a tracheostomy after doctors discovered she had Congenital Central Hypoventilation Syndrome (CCHS), which means she stops breathing as soon as she falls asleep. The condition is so rare that it’s thought to only affect 100 families in the UK. For Tiger-Lily’s mum and dad, Vicky and Ricky, Chestnut Tree House has been a vital source of support.

After Tiger-Lily’s diagnosis, she spent seven months in hospital, and when she was discharged Vicky and Ricky were left on their own with a baby who needed constant monitoring to keep her alive. “I was so fearful of everything that I didn’t leave the house for a month,” says Vicky. “That’s when I accepted help from Chestnut Tree House.

“Visits from the community team became a lifeline. I could step out the door knowing Tiger-Lily was safe and happy. I’ll never forget driving to town, breathing in the air, and thinking - so this is what the world is like!

“Tiger-Lily also likes to stay at the hospice. There are loads of kids to play with and she enjoys smashing the drums in the music room, painting, and going on treasure hunts in the Woodland Walk. Seeing her so happy after the crazy journey we’ve been on is amazing. There’s no way we’d be where we are today without Chestnut Tree House.”

Last year, Vicky took part in the charity’s magical 10km Castle Night Trek in the grounds of historic Herstmonceux Castle – and she enjoyed it so much, she’s planning to do so again this May. “I was walking with a friend who has also had experience of having a child in hospital and we absolutely loved it,” she says. “There was a real buzz and sense of achievement.

“There’s something very special about walking at dusk and there were lots of beautiful lights and things to see along the way. It means a great deal to me that people taking part in Castle Night Trek are raising money to help children like my Tiger-Lily.”

If you’d like to be a beacon in the darkness for children’s hospice care, sign up at www.chestnut.org.uk/castlenighttrek

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By Joseph Bradfield, Sussex Innovation