It’s 10-storey time with devoted aunt

Nadia abseils at hospital that helped Maurice, three

A BRAVE little boy’s fight for life has inspired his aunt to raise money for the children’s intensive care unit that helped to save him.

Nadia Marsella was one of 55 people who abseiled 10 storeys down the Queen Elizabeth Queen Mother Building at St Mary’s Hospital in Paddington in aid of the More Smiles Appeal, which aims to raise £2 million to renovate and expand the hospital’s children’s intensive care unit.

Nadia, from Hayes, raised £440 to thank the hospital for successfully treating her nephew, Maurice Marsella Joseph, who was diagnosed with a rare metabolic disorder, known as MPS 1 Hurler syndrome, shortly after he was born prematurely four years ago.

The syndrome affects one in every 100,000 children and symptoms can include respiratory problems, hearing loss, an enlarged liver and vision problems.

“Maurice was very sick and was treated at a few hospitals. He came to St Mary’s when he was about seven-months-old because he caught a chest infection,” said Nadia, who works in St Mary’s Hospital’s Lindo Wing.

“His immune system was very low due to treatment and if he caught a cold it could have killed him.

“We thought he was going to die but the team in the children’s intensive care unit at St Mary’s reassured us.

“They understood his problems straight away and he was really well looked after.”

The More Smiles Appeal aims to create a new unit with 15 beds, almost doubling the current number, allowing more than 200 extra children to be cared for each year, and has the support of the Duchess of Cambridge.

There will also be new equipment, a dedicated parents’ room and a private room allowing space for doctors and nurses to provide emotional support and care to families whose DAUNTLESS AUNT: children are seriously ill.

To find out more about the More Smiles Appeal TJG1ST or to sign up for future events, go to www. moresmiles.org.uk

The team in the children’s intensive care unit reassured us... they understood his problems straight away

DON’T LOOK DOWN:

n nephew Maurice Nadia Marsella, from Hayes, with her

n Nadia Marsella abseiled down 10 storeys at St Mary’s Hospital in Paddington to raise money for the More Smiles Appeal