On January 19th, 2024, Hugh’s Law took a step closer to becoming a reality, with the government committing to hold talks between co-founders of the charity It’s Never You, Ceri and Frances Menai-Davis and relevant stakeholders to inform the next steps on how to better support the parents of children who are in the hospital for an extended period.

Ceri and Frances Menai-Davis were in the Public Gallery to witness the success after contacting their local MP for Northeast Herts, Sir Oliver Heald, following the loss of their 6-year-old son, Hugh, to a rare cancer in 2021. Having been subjected to 10 months of intensive treatments in the hospital and at home, Ceri and Frances became concerned with the lack of financial support given to parents suffering a similar ordeal and decided to campaign to change this.

Ceri commented, "Having this bill passed and starting work almost immediately on helping the parents of sick children is a dream come true for Frances and me. When Hugh passed away, we made a vow that everyone would know the name Hugh Menai-Davis. Now, hopefully, with the news on Friday, we can start to make a legacy in his name and know that it can potentially help parents for years to come.”

“Hugh’s Law,” was accepted by ministers who agreed to fulfil all the requests outlined in Sir Oliver’s bill, 'Children in Hospital for Extended Periods (Report to Parliament).'

Sir Oliver presented the case for greater support for parents after listening to the experiences presented to him by Ceri and Frances, and Minister Jo Churchill MP agreed to set up a stakeholder forum to investigate, and produce a report to support the review, which will take six months.

Commenting, Sir Oliver said: ‘I am delighted at this success, and that Ceri and Frances were able to see the Minister agree to everything that we wanted. They will also have a meeting with the Minister in the next two weeks to discuss the details of the review process.’

Hugh’s parents, Ceri and Frances, set up the charity It’s Never You in Hugh’s memory, to support the parents of children with cancer. They have campaigned tirelessly since Hugh’s passing to change the financial support offered to the parents of sick children.

In her speech from the despatch box, Minister Jo Churchill MP reiterated the words that Ceri had once used: “Now is the time to turn the pain into purpose.”

Notes to Editors

"It’s Never You" is a charity established in memory of Hugh Menai-Davis, a compassionate young boy who tragically lost his battle to cancer in 2021. The charity is dedicated to supporting parents of children with cancer and aims to positively impact their lives through campaigns and initiatives. By addressing the challenges faced by parents and advocating for further support, "It’s Never You" seeks to create a supportive community via their exclusive Children's Cancer platform and provide essential resources. For more information, please visit (www.itsneveryou.com)

For enquires please email ceri@itsneveryou.com

Logo

Images

Tags

More Like This

Bereaved Father Urges Leaders to Support Parents of Sick Children

Prime Minister Supports Mother and Father who are pushing for "Hugh's Law" and backs support for Parents of Sick Children in Hospitals

Cornish community opens public health centre after NHS hospital closure

Charities call on next Government to tackle scandalous 16-year gap in life expectancy across the UK1

A CHARITY THAT WON’T BE ASKING ITS MEMBERS FOR MONEY THIS CHRISTMAS

Camila Batmanghelidjh Foundation established in memory of beloved advocate for Britain’s vulnerable children

STYLE AGAINST CANCER: New initiative from Children with Cancer UK will raise vital funds for much needed childhood cancer research

'Martyn’s Law' introduced to Parliament to better protect the public from terrorism