Martin House is a charity that provides hospice care for children and young people across West, North and East Yorkshire. It provides family-led care to children and young people with life-limiting and life-threatening illnesses, either at the hospice or in families' own homes.
The hospice was founded by Rev Richard Seed and officially opened by The
Duchess of Kent
Duchess of Kent is the principal courtesy title used by the wife of the Duke of Kent. There have been four titles referring to Kent since the 18th century. The current duchess is Katharine, the wife of Prince Edward. He inherited the dukedom ...
in 1987.
Services include planned respite care, emergency care, symptom control, community care, end of life care and bereavement support. The charity also supports families whose child has died from a life-limited condition but did not access hospice care. Conditions treated include long term progressive disorders such as
Duchenne muscular dystrophy
Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is a severe type of muscular dystrophy that primarily affects boys. Muscle weakness usually begins around the age of four, and worsens quickly. Muscle loss typically occurs first in the thighs and pelvis fol ...
,
Batten's disease,
cystic fibrosis
Cystic fibrosis (CF) is a rare genetic disorder that affects mostly the lungs, but also the pancreas, liver, kidneys, and intestine. Long-term issues include difficulty breathing and coughing up mucus as a result of frequent lung infections. O ...
, and sometimes
cancer
Cancer is a group of diseases involving abnormal cell growth with the potential to invade or spread to other parts of the body. These contrast with benign tumors, which do not spread. Possible signs and symptoms include a lump, abnormal b ...
. Care can take place at the hospice in Boston Spa, or in families' own homes.
The hospice's facilities include nine specialist children's bedrooms, eight family rooms for parents and siblings, six bedrooms in an adjoining unit for teenagers and young adults - Whitby Lodge - sitting rooms, playrooms, a multi-sensory room,
Jacuzzi
Jacuzzi Brands LLC (; ), through its subsidiaries, is a global manufacturer and distributor of branded baths, hot tubs, pools, saunas and, formerly, aircraft. Founded in 1915 by the Italian family of the same name, Jacuzzi is a federally regist ...
,
library
A library is a collection of materials, books or media that are accessible for use and not just for display purposes. A library provides physical (hard copies) or digital access (soft copies) materials, and may be a physical location or a vir ...
and a music room. The hospice's landscaped gardens incorporate socially-inclusive outdoor play areas with wheelchair swings, a roundabout, water play area, and adventure trail.
It costs Martin House in excess of £9 million each year to provide its services across the region.
References
External links
Official website*{{EW charity, 517919, Martin House
Hospices in England
Charities based in West Yorkshire
Health in Yorkshire
1987 establishments in England
Boston Spa