Creating hope with 'happy post'

By Sara Vincent
BBC News Online, South East

PostPals provides support to children with chronic conditions

When Vikki George was confined to bed with ME at the age of 16, she found herself feeling bored, frustrated and very much alone.

Now 19, the Surrey teenager is determined to help children in a similar position.

Using a Prince's Trust grant, she and two friends set up PostPals, a website which invites people to send "happy post" to chronically ill children.

"It's been hard work but definitely worthwhile," said Vikki.

She and fellow ME sufferers Kat Ramsey and Vicky Miles, both of whom are 21, set up the site to put visitors in touch, via secure addresses, with children being treated for genetic conditions or chronic illness.

BT ChildLine Awards

Site manager Kat, who is from Newquay in Cornwall, has been shortlisted for the BT ChildLine Awards, which are due to be announced in December.

Kat, who has also been shortlisted for a Whitbread Young Achiever award, said: "I learnt a long time ago that you don't have to be a doctor to save a life."

Vikki, who is from Little Bookham, was diagnosed with ME - also known as chronic fatigue syndrome - at the age of 10 and was eventually forced to leave school at 15.

By the following year her condition had deteriorated so much she was virtually unable to move.

I just wanted other kids to look forward to the thrill of seeing the postman instead of thinking about their illness Vikki George

"I felt really lonely and cut off from everyone I knew," she said.

When she began receiving post via an ME charity, it made her realise how something as simple as a postcard, email or letter could make a real difference to her day.

"Receiving post became my only contact with the outside world - it gave me a reason to wake up each day," she said.

Knowing this gave Vikki, Kat and Vicky, who is from Brighton in East Sussex, the motivation to set up the site.

"I just wanted other kids to look forward to the thrill of seeing the postman instead of thinking about their illness," said Vikki.

Because all three were bed-bound, it required a great deal of effort and planning to get the project off the ground.

"People with ME have unusual sleep patterns, so we often found ourselves having conference calls and sending emails in the middle of the night," she said.

The group spent a lot of time researching the project and realised that nothing similar to PostPals existed in the UK.

'Cost of a stamp'

"It's about two things, really, offering support and revolutionising volunteering," said Vikki.

"When people think of helping a child with cancer, they often think it means sponsorship or sending them to Disneyland, but a letter or email - which takes only five minutes and costs the price of a stamp - can also bring a smile and make life more bearable.

"We have people who get in touch from all over the world - Japan, Korea, New Zealand, even Afghanistan."

The site also gives the children it features a chance to write about themselves and chart their progress.

To help visitors understand more about their various conditions, PostPals includes information and links to advice and support groups.

James and his sisters have all received letters via the site

Jon Read says PostPals was very supportive at a time when his nine-year-old son James was undergoing extensive treatment for acute lymphoblastic leukaemia.

"Everybody knows how much kids love getting post but at this time, when James was at an all time low, it really gave him something to look forward to," he said.

James' sisters, Philippa and Charlotte, have also received post and now have friends who they hear from regularly.

PostPals believe the brothers and sisters of an ill child also need support because so much time and energy is spent looking after the one who is ill.

"We also want to extend the PostPals scheme for people over the age of 18 as there is little support available and they often get overlooked," said Vikki.

Gift packs

She says the team is hoping to secure more funding and is busy applying for grants.

"We'd like to do more, like sending children on special trips and, if they pass on, we'd also like to send flowers to their families, but it all adds up," said Vikki.

"We also send out gift packs, usually art and craft packs, which gives them something to look forward to."

Although PostPals takes up almost all of her time and is often extremely tiring, Vikki says it is very rewarding.

"The difference it makes to people's lives makes it all worthwhile," she said.