Raising the profile of Suzanne House
By Aideen O'Flaherty
DOZENS of people dropped in to Suzanne House in Tallaght Village after they were invited to attend an open day recently, so that donors, volunteers and the families of children who go to Suzanne House could get the opportunity to see the work they do.
The charity provides short respite breaks for children affected by life-limiting conditions, where they offer specialist 24/7 care for the children, who range in age from one to 13-years-old.
The attendees, including one of the stars of RTE’s Dragons’ Den, Gavin Duffy, got to the meet the children and staff of Suzanne House and sample some fresh produce which was grown by the children.
Pat Quinn from St John of God Community Services, which runs Suzanne House, told The Echo: “We held the open day to raise the profile of the house for businesses and donors.
“I think it’s very hard to picture how much work is done in Suzanne House unless you see it.
“It’s a pretty ordinary house that’s been converted [to provide respite care].”
The visitors got to see the house’s recently constructed playground, which has been adapted for the children to allow them to play in the playground alongside their siblings – providing a new experience for the children as many playgrounds are not suitable for them.
Mr Quinn added that this also gave the charity an opportunity to show their need for an extension, as a lot of the children use wheelchairs and there are “limitations of space”.
The children who avail of Suzanne House’s services stay for up to three nights a month.
