When Jack smiles, it lights up the whole room.

He may not be able to speak or walk, but his happiness shines through his bright eyes. It's a look his family know well. It appears when he's surrounded by familiar voices, when he's enjoying his favourite activities, and when he's somewhere he feels safe.

Jack, 22, has complex medical needs. He was born with cerebral palsy caused by a lack of oxygen during birth. He also has epilepsy, a tracheostomy and visual impairment. He requires constant care and always needs two carers with him.

"Jack is happy and content, but caring for him is a full-time job," says his mum, Emma. "He needs support 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Without Claire House, I don't know how we'd have coped over the years."

For more than a decade, Claire House has been part of Jack's life. The family were referred when the exhaustion of hospital admissions, sleepless nights and round-the-clock caring became overwhelming.

Since then, Claire House has become a lifeline.

Today, Jack attends day care at Claire House Liverpool in West Derby, enjoying hydrotherapy, music, sensory activities and plenty of pampering.

"He loves having his hair dried and being massaged," Emma smiles. "He absolutely loves the hydrotherapy pool. He just loves being busy and around people who know him."

But while Claire House Liverpool provides valuable day services, it cannot yet offer the overnight care and respite available at the charity's full hospice on the Wirral.

For families like Jack's, that's why the plans to create a full children's hospice in Liverpool are so important.

Care closer to home

Emma and her family live in Woolton, just a short journey from the Liverpool site.

Having Jack nearby gives her reassurance.

Travelling further afield can be incredibly difficult for children with complex medical needs. Every journey requires careful planning, specialist equipment and bags full of medication.

"Jack doesn't leave the house without what feels like a million bags," Emma laughs. "Whenever we travel, I'm always wondering if I'll need to stop to use the suction machine."

A full children's hospice in Liverpool would mean more families could access specialist care closer to home, without the added challenges of long journeys.

For Emma, the impact would be life-changing.

"It would be an absolute dream.