A Proud Dad
As a father to 4 wonderful children I have many things to be proud of; one of which is my youngest daughter Grace. With a passion to make a positive impact on the lives of young people Grace studied for a degree in Early Years Education whilst working full time in education settings.
For the last 15 months Grace has been able to fulfil a life long dream, securing the role of Play Assistant at Bristol Children's Hospital, looking after children and their families dealing with situations many of us can’t even imagine experiencing. So many of these children are dealing with conditions that will affect them for a lifetime.
A very worthy role and a very worthy cause indeed, so please read on and support such a worthy cause.
A Child's Life Depends on Our Support. Help us give them a fighting chance.
MY COMMITMENT TO YOU ALL;
I WILL DO A FULL IRONMAN IN 2026 IF WE ACHIEVE MORE THAN £20,000.
Imagine being 12-year-old Naia, a bright and active swimmer whose world was turned upside down by end-stage kidney failure. For a year, her future depended on a single gift: a kidney transplant. Thankfully, her dad was a match, and she is now thriving.
But for many children at Bristol's Renal Ward, serving the whole of the South West of England, the wait for that life-saving call continues. They spend hours, days, and even years hooked up to dialysis machines, a difficult and relentless reality. There is more and more demand for these specialist machines, without which many children cannot survive.
To this end, I have set an initial goal of raising £10,000 to directly support these young heroes and their families. The money we raise will go towards the small things that make a massive difference and the big-ticket items that change lives.
Here’s where your donation will go:
• £25 could buy a set of floor playmats or sensory lights to help a child play and feel like a normal children, even when they're in the hospital.
• £50 could buy a comfy chair for a parent, so they can sit next to their child's bed during a long difficult treatment or overnight stays, and feel at home.
• £250 could provide an iPad, a vital tool that helps older children stay connected to their education, friends, and sense of normalcy.
• £10,000 will contribute directly towards a new dialysis machine, a piece of life-saving equipment that gives a child the chance to thrive.
Help us reach our £10,000 goal. Donate today and change a life forever.
However, why not help us exceed the target and fund a machine completely right now: Help us get to £30,000!
If we exceed our initial goal, we can do even more. Reaching £30,000 would allow the Renal Ward to purchase a desperately needed new dialysis machine right now reducing waiting times and providing more children with the life-sustaining treatment they desperately need. Every donation, no matter how small, is a step closer to giving these children a brighter future.
About Lighthouse Ward, Bristol Children's Hospital.
The renal service at Bristol Royal Hospital for Children, based on the Lighthouse Ward with its attached Haemodialysis Unit, provides specialist care for children across the South West of England and South Wales. The ward has nine inpatient beds alongside four to five dedicated haemodialysis stations and a two-bed treatment room. As one of only 13 specialist paediatric nephrology centres in the UK, it delivers a full regional nephro-urology service, including kidney transplantation for children.
Data from the UK Renal Registry shows that, as of December 2022, the Bristol centre was caring for 46 children under the age of 16 receiving kidney replacement therapy, with 35 living with functioning transplants and 11 on dialysis. The Care Quality Commission rates services for children and young people at the Bristol site as Outstanding, reflecting the hospital’s reputation for high-quality specialist care.
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Floor playmats for the children
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Comfy chairs so the parents can sit and watch their children play
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Sensory lights
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An ipad
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Money to go towards a new dialysis machine