Meet colour-loving Calli!

Love blooms with Hospice blessing

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Love was in the air on the Adult Inpatient Unit as Alison Barrs and Paul Burgess ‘tied the knot’ – with friends, family and staff rallying round to put together a beautiful...

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Tributes to Hospice Champion Dr Harry Buckland

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Tributes have been paid to Grimsby GP Dr Harry Buckland, who was instrumental in the founding of St Andrew’s Hospice, following his death at the age of 99.

We gave a big Andy’s welcome to one of our first children’s hospice patients on his return!

10 May 2023

It was fantastic to welcome back Charlie Marshall – who was one of our first children’s hospice patients, and spent almost two decades under our care.

Meet the new and improved sensory room at Andy’s Children’s Unit

27 Apr 2023

Andy’s Children’s Unit has seen some big changes over the past year, undergoing a once in a lifetime refurbishment which has included a much-needed update to our sensory room.

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.”