ALDER HEY CHILDREN'S CHARITY MAGAZINE Issue #9

AlderHeyHospital

@AlderHeyCharity

AlderHey_Inspired

Issue no. 9

Alder Hey Children’s Charity Magazine

It’s Good to Talk as we launch our gorgeous new PJs! Meet the Running and Challenge Ambassadors You’ll love our Lockdown Legends!

Tel: 0151 252 5716 | Web: www.alderheycharity.org | Email: info@alderheycharity.org Registered charity no. 1160661

Inside Issue 8...

3

Welcom to our Ambassadors

4

Lydia’s Story

5

Thank you to our Supporters

6

#RunSolo #BikeSolo

8

Raees Story

A big

Hello

& welcome to Inspired

10 Little Legends 12 Our Charity Needs You 13 Back to School 14 Leah’s Story 18 Lockdown Adventures 20 It’s Good to Talk 22 Making a Difference 23 Coniston Challenge 24 Conquering the Inca Trail

Inspired Work 26 Chris is up for the

Challenge

27 #MillionMiles 28 Inspired at Work 31 The Donalds Paddle to

Victory

Hi my name is Emily and I am 16.

I have been coming to Alder Hey since birth.

Just before my second birthday, I developed an infection which led to a brain injury called acute demyelinating encephalomyelitis (ADEM), a rare autoimmune disease which causes inflammation in the brain and spinal cord.

This meant that I had to learn to eat and drink again.

I would never have recovered without the specialist treatment from everybody at Alder Hey. I still have lots of appointments now including neurology, psychology and orthopaedics but without this fantastic hospital I wouldn’t be here today.

I’m a huge Liverpool supporter and Divock Origi is my favourite player! I am also so very proud to be an ambassador for Alder Hey Children’s Charity and enjoy raising money to help others.

I hope you enjoy this edition of Inspired and look forward to seeing some of you at the next event we can all attend together!

Emily

Welcome

to o u r f irst R u nning & C hallenge A mbassadors In each issue of Inspired we introduce you to some of our new Young Ambassadors. This issue we are delighted to introduce you to our very first Running & Challenge Ambassadors.

Karen Burscough swimmer Karen swam the English Channel in August 2017 and is currently participating in the Seven Oceans Challenge to raise £100K for Alder Hey (check out Karen’s podcast to find out her reasons for starting the challenge and what Alder Hey means to her at www.alderheycharity.org/magic/podcasts/ )

Mi c k Mountain Leader Mick embraced lockdown by livestreaming bootcamp classes and completing his own COVID 19 challenge (see page 19).

Emini Local footballer, and dad to 3 year old Eliza, Emini is a keen runner who completed the Liverpool Half Marathon for Alder Hey in 2019 and joined fellow Ambassador Liam in his Calendar Club running challenge during lockdown.

Lia m Alder Hey Scrub Practitioner, and Evertonian, Liam completed the Calendar Club running challenge in July this year, running a km for each corresponding day of the month, covering over 500km.

Welcome to our ambassadors 3

Story

In May BBC One’s Strictly Come Dancing head judge Shirley Ballas launched a huge fundraising drive that will transform the way mental health services are delivered to children and young people at Alder Hey. Our Appeal highlights that 7 in 10 young people with a mental health condition are missing out on vital mental health interventions at an early enough age. Shirley is the Appeal Ambassador helping us to publicise the campaign and to raise vital funds to enable more children to access the treatment they need, at the time they need it.

“

I know from my own personal experience how important this work is. There is a very real need for children to have access to appropriate care and treatment as soon as possible. This Appeal is a chance for everyone to help shape the future of mental healthcare for children and young people across the whole country.

“

S hi r l e y B a l l as

The ‘7in10 Children’s Mental Health Appeal’ is aiming to raise £3m to ensure that the building itself is designed to the highest standards, creating the best possible child friendly environment for our young patients.

Alder Hey’s new mental health facilities have been designed with the help of past and present service users who have had their say on how services should be delivered and what the new building should look like.

4 Lydia’s story

“

Hi I’m Lydia and I have been a patient under CAMHS for 3 years. My journey began when I was 15. I had been struggling for a long time - I knew I needed help but was so scared and feared how those around me would react.

Telling my parents was the hardest thing of all.

Admitting that I was unwell and couldn’t help myself was scary. I was quickly assessed here at Alder Hey and have since had regular weekly appointments. I’m extremely grateful to all the staff at Alder Hey who have supported me in my darkest times. I have learnt to live with and accept that my illness will always be with me; but I have been able to find ways to cope and can now look forward to the future - something that was not possible only a year ago.

I joined the ‘Fresh CAMHS participation group’ which has enabled me to use my own experiences of the service to have a voice in how the service can be improved and help many other children and young people. We recently created a ‘smashing stigma’ animation video, as well as working on the plans for the new building! I love meeting with other young people to help improve the service and feel part of the Alder Hey community. I’m also a member of the Alder Hey Youth Forum - and have been able to represent the hospital at conferences.

I cannot believe how many exciting things I have been a part of - all of which have come out of a not very good situation. I have so much to thank Alder Hey for. I decided I wanted to be a children's nurse and started my paediatric nurse training in September; something that wouldn’t have been possible without all of Alder Hey’s support!

“

Lydia’s

19 year old Lydia is one of the young people who have used Alder Hey’s Mental Health Services and features as the cover star on this issue of Inspired. This is Lydia’s story, in her own words.

T O A LL O U R a m a z i n g su p p o r t e r s

Harri Hughes celebrated his 10th birthday by completing a sponsored walk with his friends and family, despite a broken leg. He raised an incredible £1413.35.

Elyssia Shire ran the Scouse 5K and raised a breath-taking £1233.75

Theo Graham raised an impressive £475.87 by organising a walk and a lotto bonus ball competition

Matilda and Winston Brown raised an incredible £140.20 by holding a toy sale

After watching the first series of Hospital, Jack Grady was inspired to run 2km a day every day in October, raising a brilliant £3513.10

Alfie Watts ran 5K and raised a wonderful £1020

Charley Kneale held a charity night in The Victoria Hotel in Woolton and raised a wonderful £1205

Alder Hey patient Fynle Price Jones raised a fabulous £2210 through an annual in memoriam football match and in recognition of the treatment he is receiving at Alder Hey.

Ralph’s DIY in Kensington have been supporting us for 20 years by having a collection box in store. They have raised an amazing £2594.05 Thank you to all our amazingLydia’s supporters story 55

#RunSolo #BikeSolo With running and cycling events cancelled across the country this year we have been inspired by the amount of people signing up to our virtual running and cycling campaigns #RunSolo and #BikeSolo.

We’ve loved seeing the pictures of you out and about in your Alder Hey running vests, t-shirts and cycling tops. Keep the pictures coming and if you want to get your hands on one of your own why not sign up for our #MillionMiles campaign (see page 25).

Collectively, the teachers at Castell Alun High School, decided to run over 5000 miles, the equivalent of the distance between the school and Mount Kilimanjaro!

James LindleyDawe completed his 10k run on 24th May in his cricket whites, which we think set off his Alder Hey running vest just nicely!

Sarah Lovatt works in the Alder Hey CAMHS Mental Health Support Team and enjoyed tackling her 5k run which gave her something positive to focus on in these uncertain times.

Gosia Adamiak ran 5 x 5K in a week, saying “Alder Hey has looked after my son Rafal since he was born and it’s a pleasure for me to be able to support the Charity in this difficult time.”

July 2021

www.nightrider.org.uk A fun filled cycle challenge around Liverpool & the Wirral at night 50km and 100km routes

6 #RunSolo #BikeSolo

Matt Jump set himself a £5k target to do 5k every day in 2020, inspired by the care his best friend’s daughter and family received at Alder Hey. With his fundraising already at £4099, we’re sure he’ll smash it.

Amber Black ran 18 miles, a number randomly chosen by her best friend (with no knowledge of what she was giving a number for) who has been treated at Alder Hey for many years.

April Leeson and & Alex March used the #RunSolo as a good excuse to get out and run more, completing their own Crosby to Southport Pier Half Marathon in a very respectable 1 hour 59 minutes.

Keen cyclist Peter Robinson is 81 years young. When his daughter, a senior sister at Glan Clwyd hospital, insisted that he use a static turbo until the pandemic was over, he signed up to #BikeSolo and smashed 100km in 5 days!

Sunday 7th March 2021 ENTER ONLINE AT www.alderheycharity.org @AlderHeyCharity

@ alderhey _inspired

#TogetherForAlderHey

#RunSolo #BikeSolo 7

How Baby Raees S u r v i v e d C OVID -1 9 a n d H e a rt S u r g e r y.

W hen R aees was born in M arch this year , m u m Farah had no reason to think that her new baby was anything b u t a healthy boy . . .

But at only 6 weeks old his parents became concerned when he started having difficulty breathing. After a scan at Royal Oldham hospital he was referred to Alder Hey Children’s Hospital, and was diagnosed with Transposition of the Great Arteries (TGA) meaning both the main arteries in his heart were the wrong way around. With Raees’ oxygen levels very low, his condition was lifethreatening. Raees’ parents were completely shocked and numb when the doctors told them how ill he was.

Then Raees was diagnosed with COVID-19.

With the combination of a very complex heart malformation and his COVID-19 diagnosis, Raees’s chance of survival was remote.

In order for him to survive the day, Alder Hey cardiologists urgently performed a septostomy. This is where a small hole is created in the wall of the heart to allow the blood to mix, improving the amount of oxygen circulating.

The procedure was a success, but because of the COVID-19 infection, cardiac surgeons could not perform the complicated surgery now needed to correct his heart. Raees was put on ECMO; a heart lung bypass machine funded by the Charity, which kept him alive until he was strong enough to have his lifesaving surgery.

8 Raees Story

Mum Farah said: “It was a life or death situation…you have to be prepared for the worst. At this stage, we were just trying to keep him alive. As he had COVID-19 we couldn’t even touch him without gloves on, we were in full PPE when around him. It was such a difficult time.”

The Chief Cardiac Surgeon at Alder Hey, Mr Rafael Guerrero said: “Baby Raees had one of the rarest forms of TGA which together with a severe damaged function of the heart and having COVID-19 infection make him an extremely rare and very sick and complex baby. Performing this operation to correct the heart malformation was the only chance for Raees to survive and for his family to have the opportunity to see their baby growing up.”

Thankfully after 6 hours in theatre, the operation was a complete success and although baby Raees needed to regain his strength and recover from surgery he was finally over the worse.

“

Our extraordinary team of doctors, nurses, cardiologists, anaesthetists, perfusionist, ward and theatre teams worked together in carefully planning and delivering Raees’ treatment.

I am very proud of every single member of the different specialities who have been instrumental on the success of saving his life.

“

I am so thankful for everyone at Alder Hey especially Mr Guerrero and the NHS. They have done such an amazing job.

Raees has been through so much and come out stronger for it.

Doctors say there is no reason he can’t do anything he wants to. He can climb mountains, be a racer, whatever he wants. He has a life now.

“

Fortunately nine days after coming to Alder Hey, Raees had beaten COVID-19 but he was now about to undergo a high risk operation to repair his complex heart malformation.

Mu m , Fa r ah .

Raees’ story is so incredible we recently used it as part of a mail appeal to encourage more direct debit donors. We are so grateful to all our monthly direct debit donors as they ensure we can plan ahead confidently, even during difficult times. If you would like to start a direct debit and help us to create brighter futures for our amazing patients, call the team today; we’d love to welcome you to the Alder Hey family.

“

M r Gu e r r e r o, Chi e f Ca r dia c S u r g e o n .

Raees spent a number of weeks at Alder Hey recovering but is now at home in Rochdale and getting to know his big brother, three year old Ayaan.

Call 0151 252 5726 or go to www.alderheycharity.org and click donate.

Raees Story 9

Lois Higgins, who celebrated her 11th birthday while in lockdown made over 500 multi-coloured wrist bands, spending hours every day to meet orders as they come in and raising over £1000. Lois, a Knotty Ash Primary School pupil came up with the idea after making rainbow decorations for her house. Like many charities Alder Hey Children’s Charity’s fundraising income has been impacted by COVID-19. Your fundraising and support through this difficult time means the world to us – thank you.

Maisie Spencer was diagnosed with Erb’s palsy (nerve damage to her main nerves in her neck) as a newborn and has been treated at Alder Hey since. During lockdown Maisie took to her bike and cycled from Ellesmere Port to Alder Hey raising a magnificent £1188.

10 Little Lockdown Legends

Every year 12 year old Jess Weaver completes a bike ride in memory of her little sister Georgie. When, like everyone else, she had to go into lockdown, Jess was forced to change her 6th annual event and instead used her hour of daily exercise to ride every day in May. Jess smashed her £1500 target raising a brilliant £2200.

Seven year old Olivia Roden from Broughton was born prematurely at just 28 weeks, weighing 1lb 10oz at Wrexham Maelor Hospital and was transferred to Alder Hey. When Oli’s Safari Walk (see page 16) had to be cancelled this year Olivia decided to cycle 100km over 10 days in June and raised £1797.

Seven year old Liverpool fan Ruby Delacruz, from Toxteth, sang ‘You’ll Never Walk Alone’ to her entire street in lockdown just ahead of an operation to treat her neurofibromatosis, a condition which causes tumours to grow on nerves around the body, as well as causing complications with sight and hearing. Ruby raised over £300.

With all of our planned 2020 events having to be canc elled or postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, many of you have been parti cipating in your own lockdown events and challenges. We’ve been blown away by the deter mination, imagination and dedication of our amazing supporters who’ve fundraised for Alde r Hey Children’s Charity in support of our NHS hero colleagues and the children and famil ies treated at the hospital during this difficult time. We salute our ‘Little Lockdown Lege nds’

Five year old Tilly Lawrenson from Runcorn set herself a 10 day challenge to walk/cycle 24 miles - the distance from her house to Alder Hey and raised a fabulous £245.71.

West Lancashire schoolgirls Emily Gautrey and Emma Joyce raised more than £1,200 for Alder Hey after completing a 20 kilometres sponsored walk in memory of their friend Lauren Menzies, who passed away last December after contracting sepsis. 14 year olds Emily and Emma wore purple and blue, Lauren's favourite colours, as they walked around the villages of Tarleton and Hesketh Bank for five and a half hours in the wind and rain on Saturday 4th July.

Eden Barbe was born with a rare condition called Craniosynostosis. Ten years ago he underwent nine hours of gruelling surgery to reconstruct his skull to prevent brain damage and during lockdown he wanted to thank the surgeons and hospital staff at Alder Hey for everything they did and continue to do for him. Eden dances competitively both nationally and internationally and embraced his passion for dance, particularly ballroom, Latin and street dance, by completing a 10 hour danceathon. Together with sister Ebony they marked each year since his cranio surgery raising an amazing £1863.38.

Fed up of being stuck indoors, eight year old Ollie John and seven year old Tilly Hadfield walked and cycled for 89 miles (the distance from home in Menai Bridge & Tregarth and Alder Hey). Inspired by Ollie’s school friend Celt who has cystic fibrosis and who couldn’t leave his house at all during lockdown, they raised an incredible £3669. Celt even managed to join in the challenge by riding his scooter up and down the drive at home.

Poppy-Mae Jones took her fundraising for Alder Hey over the £10,000 mark when she completed the equivalent of climbing Snowdon – up and down her stairs at home! Six year old Poppy, who is treated at Alder Hey for a chronic bowel condition and Hyper-mobility Spectrum Disorder went up and down the stairs an incredible 953 times!

Little Lockdown Legends 11

Our Charity Shop needs you…

I f yo u ’ ve not visited o u r ama z ing f lagship C harity S hop in O ld S wan yet , yo u don ’ t know what yo u ’ re missing !

Furniture, clothing, toys, books, cds and vinyl, collectables and household goods – there’s always a bargain to be had and a friendly face to help you to find what you’re looking for.

Situated next door but one to Home Bargains on Prescot Road, Old Swan the shop provides vital funds for Alder Hey Children’s Charity and has quickly become part of the local community.

We are currently recruiting volunteers to become part of our shop team.

We want to hear from you if you have a day or half a day to spare per week to make a difference to the 330,000 children and their families treated at Alder Hey every year. We need shop assistants, stock sorters, drivers, handymen and women and customer service assistants.

12 Our Charity Needs You

For further information, or to book in for a taster session please contact our shop team at shop@alderheyharity. org or call Amy, Ange or Donna on 0151 476 9789.

ba c k to

F I N A LL Y !

S chool

It was a long summer break wasn’t it? Now most children are finally back at school.

Here’s to all the parents and carers who’ve had a stab at home schooling and have seen their weekly food bill go through the roof!

We salute you, well done.

To all of the children and young people who have now gone back to school, it may be a little different for a while but have fun and if you’d like your school to book in one of our new ‘virtual’ assemblies let us know and we’ll arrange it with your teachers.

Hashim Jess

We’re also inviting schools to get involved with our #Million Miles for children’s mental health.

7 in 10 children who experience a mental health condition do not get help at an early enough age.

Our 7 in 10 Mental Health Appeal aims to raise an ambitious £3 million by 2022.

We’re building a brand new home for our inpatients and community mental health services, right next to the main hospital.

With your support we can achieve our vision to offer the best service we can to our inspirational young patients.

Exercise is proven to benefit mental health, so what better way to support children and young people who need mental health services than to walk, run, cycle or swim and help us to reach a #MillionMiles for children’s mental health by 2022. Schools can register to take part as an entire school, year group or single class.

iam Izzy & Will Jenson

Teddie Lewis

To register or to get further information on our #MillionMiles campaign email community@ alderheycharity.org or visit our website at www.alderheycharity.org Back to School 13

Leah’s

Story

Leah Bennett was just six years old when she was diagnosed with a tumour doctors labelled ‘impossible.’

One evening after coming across an article about BBC presenter Dianne Oxberry, who died from ovarian cancer in 2018, Leah’s dad Stephen read a footnote of symptoms for cancer – and saw that Leah had some of those symptoms.

She was referred to Alder Hey Children’s Hospital where she underwent numerous scans and tests and was diagnosed with a tumour that doctors had not been able to profile against any recognised types of sarcoma at that time.

The tumour ran from her spine into her abdomen and around her bottom of her aorta and the lower arteries that supply the blood to her legs.

With the tumour not having an official name, none of the medical staff knew how to directly treat it.

14 Leah’s Story

“

The realisation of how serious this was hit me like a train. Our hearts just broke on the spot.

We had never felt so empty and helpless.

L e ah ’ s dad S t e p h e n

“

In November 2018, Leah from St Helens started intermittently complaining of a sore back. A few weeks later she was struggling to sit up straight in her car seat.

Leah’s pain continued into January 2019 with her appetite and energy levels also affected.

Leah underwent nine rounds of chemotherapy treatment in total but it didn’t have the desired effect. Medical experts from around the country were invited to advise the best way to treat Leah, with many advising against surgery because of the risk of life threatening blood loss which may be serious enough to cause Leah to die during surgery.

Stephen said: “We were told that surgery to remove this was Leah’s only option.

However, after the meeting, I was told that surgery was impossible for Leah as it would be highly unlikely to be ‘in her

best interests. They called it the impossible tumour. This was the hardest thing I had ever had to hear in my life.”

After speaking to Stephen and Claire and explaining that there was only a 10 per cent chance of them being able to remove the tumour, surgeons at Alder Hey agreed to take the chance.

Stephen said: “The surgeons explained that there was only around a 10% chance of them being able to remove the tumour without causing Leah major harm. Under normal circumstances this would have been excruciating to hear but 10% is after all, a chance and that is all we wanted to hear.”

The surgery team used an innovative 3D print of Leah’s tumour printed at Alder Hey which helped prepare and plan for the operation. The 3D printer had been purchased for the hospital from donations made to the charity.

Surgeons from Alder Hey and The Liverpool Royal University Hospital operated on Leah at Alder Hey, with many experts from around the world watching on video.

a damaged section of Leah’s urethra that was previously embedded in the tumour by creating a new one out of her appendix.

Now Leah continues to improve and defies the odds daily. Her family hope that she won’t require any further surgery after her ten trips to theatre over the last 18 months!

Recently she turned 8 and even started back at school.

Stephen said: “Leah has just turned 8 and started back at school. It’s just amazing to think how she is now.

This tumour was called impossible, but the amazing surgeons at Alder Hey did it, they saved my daughter’s life when others would not have taken the risk. They put their reputations on the line to save our little girl, they are heroes. Words will never be enough, but thank you, thank you from the bottom of our hearts. “

After eight hours Leah’s mum and dad were told that Leah was not only OK but that surgeons had managed to remove most of the “impossible” tumour.

Stephen said: “We broke down into floods of tears. I’ll never forget how amazing it felt to hear those words. Immediately, what was the worst day of our lives had suddenly become the best day.”

Leah was discharged home just two weeks after her operation and after undergoing radiotherapy Leah has been making steady progress, ringing the end of treatment bell back in January. In the summer she had further surgery when Ms. Corbett replaced

9th October 2020

Hold a PJ Party Fundraising Day for Alder Hey at school, work or home!

Help us raise money for the 330,000 children we treat every year.

Join Us. Join In.

Leah’s Story 15

Knowsley Safari Park Sunday 9th May 2021, 10.00am

Entry:

£10 per adult, £5 per child or £20 for a family of 4 (2 adults, 2 children) To enter: www.alderheycharity/events/oliwalk T: Helen Hughes on 0151 252 5364 E: helen.hughes@alderheycharity.org Supported By:

PLEASE CONTACT US NOW FOR MORE INFORMATION EMAIL: HELEN.HUGHES@ ALDERHEYCHARITY.ORG TELEPHONE: 0151 252 5364 CHARITY NUMBER: 1160661

Saturday 10th July 2021 10km Old Man trek up of Conis ton

ak across 3km kay Waters Coniston

17km Grizedale Forest mountain bike challenge

W S NE T E DA

The challenge of a lifetime,

D NE AT W ES

for alder hey children’s charity...

nepal

Himalaya trek 9th- April 18 OCTOBER 2020 30 – 9th May 2021

19th – 26th March 2022

0151 252 5716 info@alderheycharity.org www.alderheycharity.org registered charity no. 1160661.

Untitled-1 1

Abseil for

30/10/2018 11:50:28

We have guaranteed places for 2021!

One 8-10 mile loop of mud-soaked mayhem loaded with 25 obstacles.

17th Saturday 10th July August 2021

Abseil 150ft over the main entrance to Liverpool’s Anglican Cathedral Reg. Fee £40 Min. Sponsorship £160

A thrilling challenges for those who want to test themselves to the limit!

For further information contact adam.dixon@alderheycharity.org

F o r fu r th e r i n f o r m ati o n o n a n y o f o u r e v e n ts : Email community@alderheycharity.org or visit www.alderheycharity.org/events

Further adventures

in Lockdown…

Paul Lowe raised a staggering £22,031 by kayaking 350 miles in 10 days from the Lake District to London using canals and then, as if that wasn’t enough, he walked a further 253 miles from Liverpool to Southend!

Paul, inspired by his nephew Daniel whose life was saved at Alder Hey a few years ago, explained; “I pushed myself so hard each day, hardly slept, had numerous hurdles on my journey but that makes it all the more rewarding now.”

Alder Hey has played a big part in the Forkin family’s life. Children Leon and Betsy-Mae have both undergone operations at a young age. In 2019 dad Stuart ran the Liverpool Half Marathon in recognition of the care his family has received. This year, in lockdown, Stuart was joined by Leon in his fundraising activities when lad and dad both shaved off their lockdown hair raising £897.

Victoria Bond and her six year old daughter Annie from Burnely came up with the fabulous idea to create keyworker characters, including nurses, doctors, police and firefighters, after Victoria bought a pack of plain wooden characters to add to Annie’s growing craft collection.

Victoria said: “Annie had been doing lots of different crafts and selling them outside our home as part of our ‘doorstep shop’ project because she wanted to do something to raise money for Alder Hey.” Orders for the characters came in thick and fast and Victoria and Annie raised an amazing £828.

We’re so grateful to all of our amazing fundraisers for your sup your amazing challenges and activities – keep them coming an 18 Lockdown Adventures

The Honeyborne family from Chester decided to say a special thank you to Alder Hey for treating four year old Olivia who was born with Atrial Septal Defect, more commonly known as a hole in the heart.

Radiographer mum, Rachel, explained: “At the beginning of this year Olivia had a procedure at Alder Hey Children’s Hospital to close the hole and we were blown away by the amazing care we received. We will be forever grateful to the staff who were involved and wanted to give something back to help other families in the future.”

Having recently refurbished four luxury holiday cottages in Picton, the family decided to raffle a seven day holiday for up to four people in any one of the cottages and raised an amazing £7326.

Mick Caren is a man who likes a challenge. Not only did he run live bootcamp sessions for Alder Hey during lockdown but he also challenged himself to do a 19 mile run, 19 mile row, 19 mile airbike and 1900 box jumps… all in one day! Raising a fantastic £1460 in the process.

Artist John Charles put his talents to great use shortly after lockdown started by holding a live art class on Instagram.

Together with daughter Emmy, John drew two elephants, Alder Hey Children’s Charity mascot Oli and his trusty sidekick Ellie – giving step by step guidance for everyone who tuned in.

Michael Cullen, from Lymm, raised £7000 by cycling from one side of England to another. Completing the 215 mile journey with seven others, Michael and co. touched down in Hornsea, East Yorkshire, after three days of riding. The 27-year-old took on the challenge in order to “give something back” to the staff at Alder Hey, who he says have dramatically improved the quality of life for his six-year-old son Jake.

port during such a challenging time. We love to hear about all of nd we’ll feature as many as possible in the next issue. Thank you.

Lockdown Adventures 19

Our Matalan 2020 campaign kicked off in style at the end of Septem in Matalan stores, online at Matalan.co.uk a

It’s Good to Talk!

The highly anticipated pattern this year represents different people speaking about and supporting our Children’s Mental Health Appeal, with a focus on Talking Therapies, and includes our mascot Oli the Elephant plus a rainbow of stars to represent the NHS and our diverse family of supporters.

Starting a conversation about our mental health can be difficult. That is why for our children and young people, it is so important that they can turn to Alder Hey Children’s Hospital as a trusted friend to listen, guide and support them.

Talking therapies can come in many different forms, all with the collective aim of supporting our children and young people to talk about things that matter to them.

Mental health affects every child and young person differently and that’s why it’s so important that they and their families seek out professional support at Alder Hey in appropriate facilities.

Many children and young people require regular one to one support, to work through

any challenges they face with our mental health staff.

For other young people, group therapies and peer support can help young people to understand their diagnosis, give them confidence and reduce feelings of isolation, improving their mental wellbeing and recovery.

We also want to develop the way we use play and creativity as a way of opening channels of communication, providing a unique, childcentred and joined up approach throughout Alder Hey and our communities.

You can read Lydia’s story on page 4 and other patient stories on our website www.alderheycharity.org

THANKS TO THE AMAZING TEAM AT MATALAN ONCE AGAIN 100% OF PROFIT FROM TH

20 It’ Good to Talk

mber with OUR PJ’ s in huge demand. All the new items are available and in our large charity shop in Old Swan.

Consultant Psychiatrist Sally loved taking part in the photoshoot.

Cardiac patient Jake is an amazing fundraising ambassador for the charity.

Heart patient William with sister Isabelle and new brother Oliver, can’t wait to go to bed in theirs!

7 in 10 children do not access the support they need early enough. We know that by developing the facilities and services needed, Alder Hey can change the future of children’s mental health. We can provide the listening ear that is urgently needed in child-friendly surroundings where we can hold these conversations. Together we can help to build a brighter future for children and young people.

HE SALES OF THIS YEARS PJ’ s GOES DIRECT TO ALDER HEY CHARITY.

It’ Good to Talk 21

How your fundraising has helped this year Our community of supporters have pulled together in the toughest of circumstances this year, making a real difference to brave young patients, their incredible families and our life-saving NHS heroes.

Here are some of the ways your money has helped this year…

Over £700 to provide an Online Communication Aid to support children treated by our Speech and Language Therapy team.

£2649 towards two specialist Meerkat standing frames, making physiotherapy treatment more tailored, child-focused and fun for our patients.

£60,000 for a mobile X-Ray machine providing the best care for our young patients whilst radiologists adapt to new working practices during challenging times.

£9,500 for two mobile ultrasound scanners, allowing clinicians to carry out scans safely and quickly during COVID-19 crisis, with the highest levels of infection control.

22 Making a Difference

Over £25,000 towards a Frontline Staff Support Programme, including 24 hour counselling and well-being support.

£350,000 towards Virtual Patient Clinics to allow our clinicians to continue to treat children and young people remotely whilst restrictions are in place. The long-term impact of this is huge, saving families travel costs and reducing the amount of time taken away from school and work.

£70,000 for a brand new ECMO heart lung bypass machine, for supporting a child’s breathing when they are seriously unwell, often whilst they become strong enough for surgery.

£300,000 towards COVID-19 research to help understand how the virus could affect children and pregnant women.

THANK YOU!

T h e C o n i st o n C h a ll e n g e i s j u st th e t i c k e t !

In August 2014 Alder Hey Children’s Charity introduced its first bespoke lottery, giving supporters the chance to win £1000 every week whilst helping the Charity to fund lifesaving equipment and ground breaking research. In partnership with LFS (Lottery Funding Services) the Alder Hey lottery now has over 22,000 members and contributes over half a million pounds to the hospital every year.

Though LFS are based near the New Forest, their CEO and Head of Regulation and Compliance were born and bred in Liverpool and St Helens respectively and Alder Hey has played a large part in both of their lives as their children and siblings have all received treatment from the hospital in the past.

When the chance to help Alder Hey create and grow their lottery arose nearly six years ago, Ged and Scott saw this as ‘a fantastic

opportunity to promote and support such a superb cause’.

What they perhaps didn’t expect was to be persuaded to sign up to one of the Charity’s most exciting and challenging events, The Coniston Challenge – an alternative triathlon set in the beautiful Lake District.

CEO Ged Jones explains, ‘I am grateful for any chance to support Alder Hey, so when I was asked to do this by sleeping in a field, walking up a mountain, cycling up a huge hill and kayaking across a lake, I ran in the opposite direction as fast as I could!

Unfortunately my team caught me and I must confess I am very glad that they did.

The whole weekend, from the organisation to the feeling of personal achievement on the Saturday night was superb and thoroughly enjoyed by the whole team. I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend it.”

Head of Compliance, Scott Hughes added, ‘being a lover

of the Lake District I didn’t need to be asked twice if I wanted to support Alder Hey by taking on the Coniston Challenge. It was also a great opportunity to share the experience with colleagues who had not been to the Lakes before. The team from Alder Hey were amazing and the weekend was a huge success for all involved. The sun shone and most importantly, it raised money for the hospital and the children in its care. Brilliant’ The Alder Hey Coniston Challenge is an annual event where teams of 4 or 6 members tackle the Old Man of Coniston on foot (10km), Grizedale Forest on bike (17km) and Coniston Water on kayak (3km). The 2021 challenge takes place on Saturday 10th July.

Registration is £50 per team and minimum sponsorship per team is £1500.

For further information or to enter visit www. alderheycharity.org/events, call Helen on 0151 252 5716 or email helen.hughes@ alderheycharity.org To join the Alder Hey lottery visit www.alderheycharity. org/joinusjoinin/play-thealder-hey-lottery Coinston Challenge 23

Conquering the Inca Trail In September 2018, Phil Didlick brought son Magnus to Alder Hey for a number of scans and blood tests.

Magnus was under investigation for a genetic autoimmune syndrome called SAPHO which unfortunately his mum, Stacey-Anne, has suffered from in the last 4 years.

Phil explained, “It was a very difficult time for Magnus as he had never really attended hospital before, but the staff at the hospital were nothing short of amazing and really alleviated a lot of the stress we were all feeling.”

Thankfully we were lucky enough to find out he isn’t going to inherit this illness.

During one visit to the hospital, Phil noticed an advert in the lift advertising the Alder Hey Charity Inca Trail Trek and how it could raise money for the hospital. After some debate he decided to take the plunge and sign up.

A qualified Charted Accountant, Phil currently works as Group Finance Director for the O’Brien Group a family owned business based in the North West of England.

He explains “I was lucky enough to be able to approach a wide range of suppliers and also my professional network to help me achieve my fundraising target.”

The fundraising target for the Inca Trail Trek was set at £4000 per person, however Phil and his friend Danny, who signed up with him, 24 Conquering The Inca Trail

decided to set their own personal target – an incredible £20,000!

As a seasoned golfer, Phil – with support from The O’Brien Group - organised a Golf Day in September and with two of their suppliers doing the same earlier in the year, this closed a significant gap to their ambitious target.

All that was left for Phil to do was to complete the 45km Inca Trail, at altitude together with 35 other Alder Hey trekkers.

“The one thing I will take away from the trip is the restoration of my faith in humanity. Both my fellow trekkers and also the wonderful people who supported us on the trek proved time and time again that putting others first and sharing what we had as a group is far more rewarding than our own personal gain.”

“

The trek was very tough in parts and although I hadn’t trained as much as I planned to do I thank my lucky stars that some training had actually taken place because without it Dead Woman’s Pass would have perhaps been the end of the challenge for me! Conditions during the trip were relatively basic which was the biggest struggle for me but hopefully the rest of the group got a bit of a giggle out of my moments of disbelief at camping, the bathroom facilities and the unfamiliar food!

“

“When walking got tough there was always a friendly face to stop with you, take a breather and pick you up to go again. I met a wonderful group of people and the memories created in that beautiful part of the world will live with me for a very long time.”

Phil and Danny smashed their own, highly ambitious target, raising an amazing £22,365.84 with the total from the group topping £150,000.

The Alder Hey overseas challenges provide a unique opportunity for people to see incredible parts of the world and experience different cultures and amazing challenges that they wouldn’t ordinarily experience. With ages ranging from 14 to 73, the challenges are open to most people with a reasonable level of fitness and a sense of adventure. Past patients, family members, Alder Hey staff and staff of our corporate partners make up the majority of our challengers.

Upcomin g challeng es:

Nepal Himalaya Challenge 30th April – 9th May 2021 Trek to Petra, Jordan 19th - 26th March 2022 For further details of these fabulous events please contact Cath on 0151 282 4795 or email cath.harding@alderheycharity.org Conquering The Inca Trail 25

million miles A huge focus for us this year is our Million Miles Challenge, asking you and your colleagues to join us by cumulatively running, cycling, walking, swimming or hopping one million miles for Alder Hey and help us raise incredibly important funds for our 7in10 Children’s Mental Health Appeal #MillionMiles. Join us. Join in.

AMAZING! Our friends from Marpol Security were the first supporters of #MillionMiles raising over £2700 for the charity’s Mental Health Appeal raising vital funds to enhance inpatient and community mental health services at Alder Hey Children’s Hospital THANK YOU! Over 20 colleagues from Liverpool & Preston RBS Commercial Banking pulled together and completed over 1000 miles in June as part of #MillionMiles for Children’s Mental Health. The team walk cycled and run the distance in support of Alder Hey!

Thank you to everyone for pledging your amazing support so far!

Visit our website to see how you and your organisation can make a difference to Children’s Mental Health, and help us reach our Million Miles target.

Our long term friends and charity partner Wongs Jewellers designed and created a beautiful range of Oli inspired, sterling silver jewellery.

Each piece is a timeless keepsake to treasure. All profits are donated to Alder Hey Children’s Charity.

See the complete collection at www.shop. alderheycharity.org 26 Million Miles

C hris is u p f or a challenge !

Chris, Design Manager, at Barratt David Wilson NW decided that a 100 mile company cycle wasn’t challenging enough and embarked on a year full of marathons and other physical challenges to raise money in aid of Alder Hey. Chris, joined by a bunch of good friends, started the year taking on a two day, two marathon event on the Isle of Arran.

“Our first event on the Isle of Arran was tough, but there is nothing like easing yourself into a challenge!”

The group managed to squeeze in more than 275 miles of running events during the year, whilst Chris also completed two 100 mile cycles organised by his employer, David Wilson Homes.

“

It’s been an amazing year full of highs & lows, meeting lots of amazing people along the way. It’s a year I will never forget and the fact that I was able help raise money for such a great organisation makes it feel that little bit more special.

“

Exercise is proven to benefit mental health, so what better way to support our 7in10 Children’s Mental Health Appeal than to walk, run, cycle or swim and help us to reach a #MillionMiles by 2022.

It’s free to register, but if you would like to receive a pack including an exclusive Alder Hey t-shirt and medal, there is an option to purchase a £15 Running Box too!

Register online at www.alderheycharity.org/millionmiles Chris is up for the Challenge 27

INSPIRED at work W e love to see yo u r photographs as yo u f u ndraise at work ( wherever that is these days ! ) – remember to tag u s on T witter and I nstagram !

ChemPlants

Thank you to Phil, proud grandad of 2 year old George for nominating Alder Hey Children’s Charity to receive a very generous £3000 from Urenco ChemPlants (UCP). Staff there are able to nominate a charity close to their hearts, to access a special fund set aside to award excellence in safety.

George is a cardiac patient at Alder Hey, and was able to present the charity with the cheque while popping in for a recent appointment, much to the delight of the team.

International Nuclear S e r v ic e s

International Nuclear Services fuelled their colleagues appetites earlier in the year by baking delicious cakes which caused a huge reaction!

The team have been fundraising for the last 12 months raising an incredible £5888.60!

28 Inspired at Work

WEX

WEX staff have raised an incredible £35,000 to help fund distraction in our CT scanner room. To help them reach their total, a team of eight took on the 3 Peaks challenge and they hosted a Quiz night and events for staff.

R o y a l Li v e r B u i l d i n g s

The amazing team from CBRE at the Royal Liver Buildings continue to support us with their fundraising through raffles, money donated by vendors and providing meeting rooms for use throughout the year.

Merseyrail

Over the last twelve months Merseyrail have helped raised £41,000 through station collections, race nights, train enthusiast trips and various other raffles, draws and challenges organised by Merseyrail staff.

Sp e ci a l i s t L e i s u r e Group Cybertill

As part of National Customer Service Week, Cybertill organised a fun packed week full of activities for staff, including a team netball event raising £231.26!

Thank you and best wishes to all our friends at SLG who started their fundraising in style raising over £26,000!

msif

Oli and the corporate team were invited to MSIF’s glamorous 25th Birthday Ball last year. They raised more than £20,000 for Alder Hey Children’s Charity in celebration.

Inspired at Work 29

Welcome to Inspired Work This is where we get to share some of the amazing stories behind our corporate partners and the staff that make all the difference. If you would like to be included in the next issue please email us at corporate@alderheycharity.org and make sure to share your efforts with us on Twitter @AlderHeyCharity and Instagram @alderhey_inspired

The Donalds pa d d l e t o v i ct o r y !

Last year, the Donald family were joined by friends and colleagues from Floorscan Acoustics to take part in Alder Hey’s first ever Dragon Boat event. They donned their bright yellow t-shirts and caps (complete with rubber ducks!), shook their tail feathers and were christened Liv’s Donald Ducks.

Simon and Kate Donald had welcomed their amazing twin girls Ruby and Olivia in September 2018.

During pre-birth scans they were informed that Olivia had congenital heart block and would require treatment upon birth. After a very worrying pregnancy the girls were born at the Liverpool Women’s Hospital, and within 30 minutes after being born Olivia was taken to Alder Hey Children’s Hospital.

Olivia was given a micro pacemaker which kicks in if her heart beat drops too low. She was cared for by the nurses until fit enough to finally come home to her twin sister Ruby and big brother Teddy. 16 months later, in February this year, 30 The Donald’s Paddle to Victory

Olivia came back into Alder Hey for a regular check-up. Unfortunately, due to a complication, the doctors decided she needed more surgery and she was prepared for theatre that same day. Thankfully, the surgery went well and Olivia is now recovering.

“We are enormously thankful to Dr Bowes and the entire pacing team at Alder Hey. Thanks to the incredible care at the beginning of her life and care she will receive throughout her childhood, we could never thank Alder Hey enough.”

‘Liv’s Donald Ducks’ paddled their way to victory and were crowned the 2019 Dragon Boat champions,

Little Liv with last year’s Dragon Boat trophy!

whilst also being the highest fundraising team raising over £4000! Two crew members are Alder Hey fundraising champions in their own right, with Eoin Waters completing an ultra-marathon, and Matt Jump running a 5k every day in 2020. And great news…they’re coming back to defend their title in 2021.

Registration per boat: £2 75 Sponsorship : £1000

Charity no: 1160661

DRAGON BOAT FESTIVAL 2021

Saturday 17th April Crosby Lakeside Adventure Centre

Teams of 11 compete to be crowned the fastest team on the water.

There's something for everyone to enjoy at this family fun day!

e: becky.parsons@alderheycharity.org www.alderheycharity.org

Proudly sponsored by:

The Donald’s Paddle to Victory 31

WORK

Celebrating our Corporate Partners and their amazing staff! #JoinUsJoinIn

Tel: 0151 252 5716 | Web: www.alderheycharity.org | Email: corporate@alderheycharity.org Registered charity no. 1160661