Roald Dahl’s Marvellous Children’s Charity was founded by Roald Dahl’s widow, Dame Felicity Dahl, shortly after Roald Dahl’s death in 1991. Since it was established, the charity has worked closely with the NHS to demonstrate how specialist nursing can transform the care of children living with complex, lifelong illnesses.
For many families for whom the road to diagnosis is complex and uncertain. It includes juggling hospital visits, managing medications, and navigating treatments and tests. They are often under the care of multiple specialists, across different hospitals. Navigating this challenging world can be daunting. That is where Roald Dahl Nurses come in - ensuring that families no longer have to face their illnesses alone.
Roald Dahl Nurses are trained and dedicated experts in their field. They become a trusted, familiar presence both in hospital and at home.
The dedication and expertise of Roald Dahl Nurses reduces A&E visits, hospital admissions and consultant appointments. They are a vital lifeline to the whole family, coordinating care and providing access to emotional support.
Currently, over 200 Roald Dahl Nurses care for more than 40,000 children living with complex, lifelong conditions. But many more children still go without this vital specialist care.
The charity believes that every seriously ill child deserves a Roald Dahl Nurse.
“Families caring for seriously ill children with complex needs are on a complicated journey, often seeing multiple specialists and attending a whole number of appointments across each week or month,” explains the charity’s CEO, Louise Griew. “Our nurses help them navigate that journey providing help to improve the quality and experience of care in a way that can prove transformative to the whole family.”
One of the charity’s recent films, which picked up a prize at the 2025 Smiley Charity Film Awards, features a little girl called Ada, whose family’s life was transformed by her Roald Dahl Nurse.
Learn more about their work
here.
