Christmas campaign to help our poorly kids
THE family of a little girl whose life has been saved several times thanks to children’s hospital services in Leicestershire is calling on residents to make a donation towards new kit for Leicester Children’s Hospital.
Five-year-old Hope, from Loughborough, was born with her left organs on the right side of her body.
Her heart stopped five times but staff at the neonatal unit at Leicester Royal Infirmary were able to keep her going, with a ventilator helping her breathe during her recovery in the paediatric intensive care unit (PICU).
Now her family is urging people to donate to a Christmas campaign to raise £33,000 to buy a ventilator for the PICU at the new Leicester Children’s Hospital.
Hope’s dad, Adrian Penney, said: “Hope was not expected to live past her first birthday and yet she’s fighting fit for now. She has started school and even experienced her first holiday where she played in the sand – something so simple but something I thought I’d never see.
“I know that 2020 has been a tough year, but if we come together as a community and support the Leicester Children’s Hospital Appeal, we can provide a new ventilator to help critically ill children at Leicester’s Hospitals, just like the one that kept my Hope alive.”
Leicester Hospitals Charity’s Director, Lisa Davies, said donating to the campaign is a powerful way for people across the region to have an impact on children’s services.
“Throughout this year, we’ve been overwhelmed by the outpouring of support for our hospitals,” she said.
“Christmas is always a time for giving and we all have the power to give critically-ill children like Hope and their families the care they need and deserve by gifting our children’s services a brand new ventilator.” ■To make a donation, go to: