Families of children with short lives were welcomed to a private ice-skating session thanks to a charity initiative.
Families and their children with life-shortening conditions were among the first to enjoy the ice rink in Cardiff’s Winter Wonderland thanks to a charity initiative.
The Tŷ Hafan charity, which supports young people with shortened life expectations, took a group to the ice rink for a private session.
“We had an absolute blast and were so grateful for the opportunity to get together and enjoy some festive fun with some of our families,” wrote Tŷ Hafan about the event on Facebook. “Thank you so much to Cardiff’s Winter Wonderland and the team who opened up early for us.”
Winter Wonderland chose Tŷ Hafan as the partner charity to support this year to help them achieve their goal of helping Welsh families navigate the difficult times of losing their children
“Tŷ Hafan were there for us when Violet was dying, they were there for us when she died and they have been there for us since then,” said Emily, a mother of an 11-month-old child who passed due to an ultra-rare genetic disorder.
Winter Wonderland has dedicated a designated area for visitors to write and hang “one wish” on the Christmas tree and make a one-pound donation for every wish.
Visitors of all ages have made wishes ranging from “good health to all” to “all children get a present from Santa”.
In addition to the donations, all the earnings from the market go directly to Tŷ Hafan charity in the hopes of helping them reach their goal of raising £75,000 by the end of this Christmas season so that no family in Wales will have to go through losing their children alone.