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	Children&#39;s charity Jack and Jill will extend their care for sick children up to the age of six under a new pilot scheme.</p>
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	The charity, which currently provides home care for severely ill children up to the age of four, will be supported in the venture by KBC Bank.</p>
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	The organisation will offer the pilot scheme to as many as 15 families, who are currently using its services, for six months next year.</p>
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	It will then collate this data and send it to the HSE, as the charity asks it to support &quot;a fully-fledged service for four to six-year-olds in Ireland&quot;.</p>
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	It would cost the charity more than &euro;1m if it was to extend the new service to all of the families it cares for each year.</p>
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	&quot;Under the new pilot scheme, KBC Bank has committed to matching funds raised by its 1,000 employees and 15 retail hubs around the country,&quot; a spokesperson said yesterday.</p>
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	Saviours</p>
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	Jack and Jill tries to raise at least &euro;2.7m annually to cover its nursing costs. It is currently providing up to 64 hours of home care nursing per month to 300 families around the country at a cost of &euro;16 per hour.</p>
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	One of the children who recently benefited from an extension in the age of care is Erika Cawley (5).</p>
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	Her Jack and Jill nurse will now be funded by the HSE until she is six years old and her grandfather John O&#39;Meara described the nurses as &quot;saviours&quot;.</p>
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	Erika was diagnosed with Dravet syndrome, a severe form of epilepsy, when she was younger. Erika&#39;s mother Lisa receives 40 hours of assistance per month. &quot;It affects all parts of her social interaction and life,&quot; her grandfather explained.</p>
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	&quot;They saved our lives. If it wasn&#39;t for them, we&#39;d still be up watching &#39;Dora&#39; and &#39;Crystal Kingdom&#39;, because Erika just sleeps for 20 minutes.&quot;</p>
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	<a href="http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/jack-and-jill-charity-to-care-for-children-up-to-six-31478958.html">http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/jack-and-jill-charity-to-care-for-children-up-to-six-31478958.html</a></p>
