Story Behind the Star – Claire Le Conte

Story Behind the Star – Claire Le Conte

Claire Le Conte recently won the PPBF’s ‘Star of the Month’ draw after buying a night for the charity’s compassionate housing in Southampton, in honour of her niece, Xanthe.

When complications began shortly after Xanthe’s birth in June 2023, Claire’s brother and sister-in-law quickly flew across to Southampton Hospital following five days in Guernsey’s Special Care Unit. During Xanthe’s treatment in the UK, the couple spent a week in Aggie’s Burrow, which is one of three PPBF flats for local families with a premature baby or poorly child.

Claire explains: ‘I chose to sign up to ‘buy a night’ just a few weeks after my brother and sister-in-law unexpectedly needed emergency accommodation in Southampton. My gorgeous little niece, Xanthe, was experiencing some difficulties soon after being born. She was fine for the first few days and then she had some complications. She ended up in the Guernsey Special Care Unit (formerly Neonatal Unit) for about 5 days.

‘Then, the consultant said that she would need further investigations in Southampton. Suddenly, they had to go that afternoon. This was such a stressful and worrying time for all the family as we were trying to book travel, pack bags, etc. Fortunately, the neonatal nurses put us in touch with the PPBF. They acted so quickly and thanks to them accommodation was one less thing to worry about. My brother and sister-in-law have said that having the lovely flat was such a relief both emotionally and financially. What was really lovely, was that having the second bedroom meant that Xanthe’s Granny could stay too and her extra support was invaluable.’

Xanthe’s parents added: ‘We just wanted to send an enormous heartfelt thank you. Being able to stay in Aggie’s Burrow, and the speed in which it was arranged at such short notice, made an extremely difficult time that little bit easier and we are so grateful. It was also a tremendous comfort that, when we were not at hospital, we were only a few minutes away from her at all times. What the Foundation does is incredible and we, plus our families, will look to support the PPBF where we can in the future.’

As ‘Star of the Month’ for June, Claire won an overnight stay for two at Rhinefield House in Hampshire with Hand Picked Hotels and Condor Ferries. Usually, the PPBF’s monthly draw features a ‘Sleep Well’ box but this special edition prize was part of the celebrations around Frankie’s Den, the charity’s newest flat.

Every month, a winner is randomly selected from the stars on the PPBF’s Buy-A-Night calendars for Aggie’s Burrow, Isaac’s Pad or Frankie’s Den. These stars are the nights that have been bought by the community to support a family staying in one of the flats and supporters can pick a date of their choice to personalise.

Co-founder of the PPBF, Jo Priaulx, says: ‘I’m so glad that the PPBF could provide some comfort to Xanthe’s family during this difficult time. Congratulations to Claire, a deserving winner. We know she’ll have a wonderful time at the beautiful Rhinefield House. A big thank you to everyone who has bought a night for the PPBF so far. This support helps to keep our doors open and it means a great deal to all of our local families going through the hardest of times. Our monthly giveaways are just a small token of our appreciation as each and every donation allows us to keep more families together.’  

To find out more about the PPBF’s Buy-A-Night campaign, please click here.