Camp Simcha mums enjoy pampering day treat
Camp Simcha brought a day of relaxation and pampering to mums with seriously ill children at the charity’s annual Spa Day.
Andrew Sherwood is the Jewish News Sport and Community Editor
Sixty London mums enjoyed a rare moment of respite from the 24/7 demands and anxiety of caring for a very ill child when they attended Camp Simcha’s annual Spa Day.
Held in the north London home of a Camp Simcha benefactor, 26 therapists offered their services free of charge for 60 London mums, who enjoyed massage, makeovers, reflexology, facials, hairdressing, manicures, pedicures and pilates.
The charity, which supports families coping with serious childhood illnesses, arranged for carers to look after the children so that the mothers could take this opportunity to relax.
Camp Simcha Family Liaison Officer Robyn Katz said: ‘You cannot imagine how much the mums I support get from the Spa Day. I have one with a teenage daughter whose condition is so serious that she needs to be watched round the clock. Mum never gets a minute for herself so this day off is just amazing for her.’
Another Camp Simcha mum, who came along for the first time this year, Samantha, said: ‘I have a very stressful life and I just could not believe what I was walking into at the Spa Day. I never imagined it would be like that, the amount of care and attention to detail. For one day I felt so special, overwhelmed and incredibly spoilt.
“It is the personal touches that made it so special and just sums up everything Camp Simcha does. For my Family Liaison Officer, it is clearly not just a job – the attention she gives me is incredible and I feel like I am the only mum she supports even though I know I am one of many.”
Camp Simcha Family Liaison Officer Sam Charles, who organises the event, said: “We know that when a child has a serious illness, the whole family suffers – mum, dad and siblings as well as the child.
“We think about this with all the services we provide. The Spa Day is an opportunity to give Camp Simcha mothers a day off, something they desperately need when they are on duty 24/7, coping with unimaginable anxiety, while trying to manage their child’s illness and give their other children the attention they need too.”
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