Two children with a hero paramedic for a father have started their own campaign to raise money for ME research by making cupcakes for dad to sell at work.
Holly and Charlie, the children of senior ambulanceman Richard Peretti, made £70 from the cake sale earlier this month and have told their parents that this is only the beginning.
Their mum, Chantalle, who was diagnosed with ME and fibromyalgia almost five years ago, was full of praise for her kids – Holly, aged 10, and seven-year-old Charlie.
“The children are determined, when we finally get out of lockdown again, to raise more,” said Chantalle, who shared a poignant blog by her husband with us a few days ago.
‘My ME is getting worse all the time and they never fail to amaze me.”
In the blog, which we published a week ago, Richard revealed that he works permanent night shifts in Newcastle-upon-Tyne so he can be at home to look after Chantalle during the day:
“I survive on four hours sleep between shifts had have to be alert enough to make life-or-death decisions.
“I regularly become frustrated that I have spent 16 years working in the medical fields, trying to do the best for those I help, yet at home I feel helpless.
“II have to sit back and watch someone in pain, watch them struggle to survive.
“Many a night I have left the house in tears and sobbed all the way to work – scared that I will lose my wife and scared to be a single dad”.
Chantalle commented: “Richard is an amazing paramedic, husband and father.
“He has written a piece about ME that his bosses have shared with all the practising paramedic staff, how to help and treat us, that it's not all in our heads and that we need the respect that not all medical practitioners give us.
“I'm so proud of them all. Richard will also be giving some training on this subject so hopefully that helps.”
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