Birmingham family throws support behind Birmingham Children’s Hospital Charity’s Christmas Appeal

The charity is on a mission to make Christmas as magical as possible for its sick kids. It’s not easy being in hospital during this time, but with the help of donations from the generous public, the charity can make sure that there’s plenty of festive cheer, whether that’s transforming the wards into a winter wonderland with decorations or giving patients a chance to visit to the hospital’s grotto to meet Santa and pick up a present.

One child, whose family knows the importance of the extra touches which makes Christmas so special at Birmingham Children’s Hospital, is four-year-old Primrose, from Sheldon, who has been a patient there since she was one month old.

Soon after she was born, doctors found that Primrose’s left kidney wasn’t functioning properly, and she was put on antibiotics at her local hospital. However, while she was waiting for additional test results, she became very ill. She was rushed to Birmingham Children’s Hospital where an ultrasound scan revealed her left kidney was extremely enlarged.

Primrose was given an emergency operation to drain fluid from her kidney, which was a success. However, three days later, she took another turn for the worse and was rushed for an emergency blood transfusion.

A month later Primrose was discharged but still required appointments every other week because she kept getting repeated urinary tract infections. She was just too tiny to have the major operation needed to fully drain her bladder.

In December 2021, nearly two years after Primrose’s first visit to Birmingham Children’s Hospital, she’d finally grown big enough to have her vesicostomy surgery, which created a small opening in her abdomen to drain urine from her bladder.

Primrose’s recovery from her operation was a long and difficult process and she spent much of the Christmas season in hospital, instead of at home with her family.

Primrose’s mum, Lindsey, comments: “The staff were amazing and did everything they could to bring the magic of Christmas to us, to make sure we could still enjoy the festivities. Primrose even got to meet the Grinch, which she was very excited about.”

The family were worried they wouldn’t make it out of hospital in time for Christmas Day but luckily, they were discharged on Christmas Eve. The staff still made sure Primrose left the hospital with a gift, which was only made possible thanks to the generosity of the charity's supporters.

“Her face lit up when she received the gift,” Lindsey continued. “All the extra touches really changed her experience at the hospital. We saw how much of a difference the charity makes to patients of all ages, especially those who weren’t as lucky as we were.”

Annie Eytle, Head of Public Fundraising at Birmingham Children’s Hospital Charity, said: “In the end Primrose was able to spend Christmas Day at home with her family but sadly that’s not the case for all our sick kids. Being in hospital during the festive season can be an overwhelming and incredibly difficult time and that’s why our charity is on a mission to make our hospital as magical as possible.

“As well as bringing fun and games, donations help to create family-friendly environments, purchase life-saving equipment and fund life-changing research into childhood diseases. With the help of the public, we can continue to give the sick kids in our hospital’s care the best experience and outcomes possible.”

If you would like to donate to Birmingham Children’s Hospital Charity’s 2024 Christmas Appeal, please visit bch.org.uk/Christmas.