National Pyjama Day raises €919,961

National Pyjama Day, organised by Early Childhood Ireland, raises €919,961 for Irish Hospice Foundation’s Hospice Home Care for Children Programme over the past four years

Rory Brennan Hobbs (4) and his sister Eabha (2) from Bray proudly in their PJs display the figure of €919,961 raised through Early Childhood Ireland’s National Pyjama Day for the Irish Hospice Foundation’s Hospice Home Care for Children Programme. 

Also pictured are Sharon Foley CEO of Irish Hospice Foundation and Teresa Heeney CEO of Early Childhood Ireland whose chosen charity for National Pyjama Day has been IHF for the past four years.

Under the Hospice Homecare for Children programme- which is operated in partnership with the Health Service Executive- eight Children’s Outreach nurses provide support to families caring for their seriously ill child at home. Five of these nurses are funded by the IHF and are based in Drogheda, Limerick, Waterford, Mullingar and Dublin.  The programme also funds Ireland’s first Consultant Paediatrician with a special interest in Paediatric Palliative Care in Our Lady’s Children’s Hospital, Crumlin.

This year a record number of 55,000 children wore their pyjamas into their crèche or preschool and, according to Early Childhood Ireland, the core of this long running charity initiative is children helping children and having fun.

According to Teresa Heeney CEO of Early Childhood Ireland, “We must also acknowledge the hard work and dedication of the childcare professionals up and down the country, backed up by families who understand the real value of this national fundraiser with local reach.  On behalf of Early Childhood Ireland, I want to say a big thank to everyone involved including Sharon Foley and her team at Irish Hospice Foundation who have been such a wonderful partner over the last 4 years.”

CEO of the IHF Sharon Foley stated: “There can be no underestimating the incredible support we have received through National Pyjama Day over the last four years. In Ireland, 1400 children are living with a life limiting illness and 350 of these children die each year, most in the first year of life. Without the help of National Pyjama in recent years we would not have been able to continue to support families in fulfilling their wish of caring for their sick children at home. I want to thank each childcare facility and each child who has taken part in the event. You have helped make such a difference to end of life care for children right across the country.”

Ends.