Supporting Children & Their Families With The Alder Hey Running Hub.

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Nobody ever want to think of anyone we love ever being poorly or requiring hospital treatment, especially our own children. However for so many people this is their reality and when our children do unfortunately end up in hospital we want to know they are receiving the very best care. 

Every year Alder Hey hospital cares for over 275,000 patients and their families, providing the very best care and what is often a very difficult time for everyone involved. Which is why the Alder Hey Children's Charity is so important to the hospital and its patients. 

Alder Hey children's charity raises vital funds to help provide support for Alder Hey children's hospital and all of the children and their families that are treated there. From life saving equipment to much needed facilities, the charity are helping to make a real difference to everyone who walks through the doors each day. So whether you are donating toys and clothes, holding your own event or putting your running training plans in place there are lots of ways you can help too. 

Daniel was one child who has spent time at Alder Hey and has gone on to do an amazing job fundraising for the Alder Hey Children's Charity. In fact he did such an amazing job at fundraising he was actually named as a fundraising ambassador for the charity! 

Here is Daniels story - 

Daniels Story

For the first few years of Daniel Bell’s life, he was like any other toddler, full of energy, happy and full of life at home in Ormskirk, but doctors soon discovered Daniel had a brain tumour the size of a fist.

At aged three, mum Rosalind and dad Colin, had noticed a change in Daniel’s behaviour. He wasn’t the same happy go lucky toddler he used to be. Rosalind explains “His personality literally changed. He was grumpy had lots of tantrums, was sick and went back to sleeping in the day too, which was the total opposite of what he was previously.”

Thankfully Rosalind recognised some of the symptoms of a brain tumour. Daniel was taken to Ormskirk A&E who quickly realised the severity of the situation and Daniel diagnosed with a brain tumour.

Daniel was rushed straight to Alder Hey which is a centre of excellence for brain conditions. “It was like the bottom had fallen out of my world, our lives changed in a split second. We were told he needed to go to Alder Hey right away and we were blue-lighted to Liverpool,” says Rosalind.

Once at Alder Hey, Daniel was taken straight to theatre where Neurosurgeon Ms Sasha Burns drained fluid on his brain during a 3 hour life-saving operation and the next day Daniel’s tumour was removed during a 9 hour operation by Mr Conor Mallucci, who recently featured in BBC2 documentary Hospital.

“Mr Mallucci told us that Daniel had a cystic tumour which was the size of an adult’s fist and there was a possibility of Daniel losing motor and mobility skills as the result of the procedure,” explained Rosalind.

The operation was a success, helped by the use of Alder Hey’s 3-T MRI scanner, a pioneering scanner which allows surgeons to scan the brain in theatre. Alder Hey is the first hospital in Europe to have this kit, which was paid for by Alder Hey Children’s Charity.

“It was 6pm when we heard that Daniel was out of theatre. We were approaching HDU to see him when we heard Daniel shouting at the nurses. I have to admit it was the best sound ever,” said Rosalind. “Mr Mallucci said that the operation ‘went perfectly’ and that he had successfully managed to remove the whole of Daniel’s tumour. We spent 6 days on HDU to recover and then went to the neuro ward for a week. The nurses were incredible,” said Rosalind.

Rosalind said: “When we got the scans from Oncology which told us that no further treatment was needed it was an amazing relief. I cried a lot after that.”

Daniel is now a healthy and very active little boy and also a budding actor. “Daniel is really happy. He is a cheeky little kid and he loves being with his friends. He has performed in Little Shop of Horrors with his local Performing Arts Club and he loves to raise money for Alder Hey Children’s Charity.”

Daniel was even featured in the 2018 Matalan PJs campaign with TV presenter Scarlett Moffatt!

One of the many things fundraising like this has helped with is the installation of distraction technology in many rooms. This helps divert attention away from the treatment or medical examinations that need to be carried out by medical staff, and to entertain young patients with colourful, bright and positive images projected on the walls. This immersive technology helps to transform a white walled room into a magical world where children can escape from reality and be free from fear and anxiety.

To be able to continue to provide innovative solutions such as the distraction technology and provide vital funds for Alder Hey to continue the amazing work the team do, they rely heavily on the support and kindness from members of the public. 

There are many fun and exciting ways for people to help and support Alder Hey Children’s Charity such as hosting a bake sale, a charity car wash or signing up to run a charity race. Alder Hey Children’s Charity has recently launched a brand-new running hub to inspire and motivate people to run for charity. With delicious recipe ideas, running tips and 5k, 10K, half marathon and marathon training guides, if you’d like to challenge yourself to run a 5K, 10K or even a marathon why not go and check out the Alder Hey Running Hub now.

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**I received a fee for this post and my time.**