Oscar loves listening to stories. In fact, they really help calm him when he’s feeling anxious… This is why his dad Alex and mum Dani are launching a new campaign called Read2Me, hoping to bring joy to as many children as possible through the gift of storytelling.
Oscar has Batten disease, which is a rare, life limiting neurodegenerative condition. He and his family are supported by Acorns. Since Oscar’s diagnosis, parents Alex and Dani have been sharing Oscar’s story through the Facebook page BeMoreOscar.
As Oscar’s condition progressed, parents Alex and Dani found it increasingly difficult to engage with their son – apart from when they read stories together. Oscar’s grandparents would write and record stories and send them to Alex and Dani to play for Oscar and his younger brother Charlie. The boys loved hearing them and 12 months on, still listen to them!
Alex and Dani then recognised the potential to help a lot of other children and families, like theirs.
Many children with complex conditions can struggle to relax and can become unsettled or have intense periods of anxiety or distress, but listening to stories can help to calm them and stimulate their imaginations. Audio recordings are especially great for children with conditions like Oscar’s, who are visually impaired.
That’s why Oscar and his family are hoping to create an audio library full of wonderful stories, not only for Oscar and Charlie but to share with as many other families as possible, including those who visit Acorns three hospices.
They’re reaching out to Acorns supporters to write, record and send in a story to add to the collection. All you need to do is write a short story, record yourself reading it out, and email the audio file to read2me@bemoreoscar.co.uk. The stories need to be between 2 and 20 minutes long and need to be upbeat and of course, child friendly.
The family hopes to gather as big a collection of stories as possible and hope Acorns supporters will help. The collection will be shared with Acorns hospices along with listening devices so children visiting our hospices can also benefit from this wonderful campaign.
To find out more information about Oscar and the Read2Me campaign visit the BeMoreOscar Facebook Page.
