Kate Middleton hopes you'll help a cause near and dear to her heart.
To launch Children's Hospice Week in the U.K., the Duchess of Cambridge—a patron of East Anglia's Children's Hospices (EACH) since 2012—recorded a PSA that debuted Monday. Ed Sheeran, who has often sold items to support the cause, lent his song "Lego House" to the PSA.
EACH currently supports 368 children and young people across Cambridgeshire, Essex, Norfolk and Suffolk, providing bereavement support for all family members, hydrotherapy, music therapy, parent groups and siblings groups, short break care, specialist play activities and more.
"For any parent, being told that your child may have a life limiting condition or may die young will be one of the most difficult and isolating experiences you can face," Middleton said in the PSA, filmed at EACH in Quidenham, Norfolk. "Having someone to help you come to terms with this news, and the professional care and support that comes with this, can make an enormous difference. It can help families make the most of every precious moment they have together."
"As patron of EACH, I have seen the incredible difference that children's hospice and palliative care services can make for children, young people and their families. Across the U.K., more than 49,000 children and young people have life limiting conditions. For these families, having expert care and support is vital, and this is what children's hospices provide," she said. "They deliver first class care in a safe environment that feels as close to home as possible, full of color, warmth, love and support."
"Today, as we mark the beginning of Children's Hospice Week, I hope you will join me in shining a light on the dedicated and inspirational staff and volunteers and the lifeline services they provide for children and their families," Middleton concluded. "The work they do is extraordinary, and it really does make a world of difference."