Hucknall Mum appealing for advent calendar donations for children with cancer

A Hucknall Mum is appealing for donations of advent calendars from local people and businesses so that they can be distributed to children with cancer.

Nicola Barksby, whose son Jake was diagnosed with testicular cancer, a couple of years ago when he was just six years old but is now in remission, is looking to give something back by collecting a large number of advent calendars for families going through the same ordeal as her family did fairly recently.

Speaking exclusively to Hucknall Nub News, Mrs Barksby said: "It's for a charity that's called PASIC. They're a charity that support families of children with cancer so they visit children in hospital but they also visit children at home just to provide support. They do a lot of financial support but they also organise days out for children and their families and stuff like that as well.

"Last year we collected toys for them. This year they've just put out on social media that they need donations of advent calendars, your usual chocolate advent calendars. They like to give them out to the children either on the wards or children that are going through treatment, they'll visit them at home and just give them an advent calendar so that they have one for the countdown to Christmas."

On her desire to get involved with the cause, Mrs Barksby added: "We know what it's like for children to be in hospital over Christmas. It's not a nice time at all but by having these little gifts, it's something that gives them that smile to their face, it makes it that bit more exciting for them.

"And by having an advent calendar it gives them something to focus on, the countdown to Christmas, rather than just thinking about their illness and the treatment that they're going through every day, it gives them something to look forward to.

"Christmas is made enjoyable by all the charities and the big companies that do visit the hospitals and send in donations for the children over Christmas so although it's a sad time that they're in hospital, big thanks to all the charities and the companies that go in and try and make those days a little bit happier by donating toys and chocolates and things. This is just our way of helping towards that."

The charity has set a deadline for donations to be received by Monday 22 November.

If you or your business would like to get involved with donating advent calendars to the cause you can contact Mrs Barksby via email at [email protected] as she will be coordinating the donations and arranging with the charity to collect them in one go.

More information can be found here. Any questions about the initiative can also be directed to Hucknall Nub News by emailing [email protected].