Meet colour-loving Calli!

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St Andrew's Hospice adopts Dying to Work charter

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Meet colour-loving Calli!

Age: 16 years old

Occupation: Chief Ice Cream Taster at Andy’s

Colour-loving Calli has been bringing sunshine and rainbows to Andy’s Children’s Unit for the past 12 years. Diagnosed with a brain tumour at just three years old, she suffers from multiple health conditions, including speech difficulties and an unsafe swallow, meaning she must use a feeding tube for certain meals. Calli doesn’t let that hold her back though, and she loves coming to Andy’s to bake the treats that she can enjoy with her friends. She’s always happy to chat using her assistive iPad, but if she catches you ordering a plain ice cream, she may just call you boring!

Calli’s dad, Mick, said: “Calli is so full of life. Knowing what she has been through and thinking that she wouldn’t survive after she was diagnosed, it’s just great for her to enjoy herself. She absolutely loves everything about Andy’s... it’s really special. The staff are brilliant and always have been. They let kids be kids, and that’s important; you can tell they love their jobs. Calli gets to do all sorts of things - baking, colouring, playing games, watching movies with the other kids. And she loves to have a boogie.”

Andy’s is somewhere Calli comes to play, and Mick comes to relax, which is exactly what Calli tells her dad! They have the opportunity to go on day trips together - one of the last outings they went on was to see the Lion King in Hull - but now Calli has built up the confidence to go out with the Andy’s staff and her friends alone. With three other daughters, Mick explained: “Andy’s is not only great fun for Calli, but it means her sisters can get their own bonding time with their mum too.”