Thanks for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page! 

As well as doing the Blenheim Tri with the TOO crew in June, I was also "lucky" enough to get a ballot place in the London Marathon on April 23rd. I will be running, walking, crawling and quite possibly sobbing my way around 26.2 miles but it will be for an amazing cause close to my heart  - Thinking of Oscar. Read on below for words from Hannah and David (Oscar's parents) about the charity and where any monies raised will go. Any donation is hugely appreciated xx 

.Oscar’s Story

Nearly 3 years ago our son, Oscar, died very suddenly and unexpectedly. It took many months to get any understanding as to what had happened, and because it happened so quickly we were warned from the outset that we might never know. Eventually we were advised that, having being diagnosed with Osteomyelitis whilst in hospital (a rare but non fatal bone infection), his PICC line (used in order to administer intravenous antibiotics) became infected and so he had to be readmitted to hospital. During that time it is suspected that he contracted rotavirus (a common sickness bug amongst young children which is now vaccinated against) and that this manifested itself in encephalitis, a viral infection of the brain which took over his brain stem and killed him. Thinking of Oscar was founded to ensure that the time that we spent with him was just the first of many chapters in his name.



What has Thinking of Oscar achieved so far?


The objective of Thinking of Oscar is to improve the experiences of children and their families whilst in hospital care. The types of projects that we are interested in supporting are those which are over and above anything that the NHS would deliver. We are excited by the potential that innovation can offer to paediatric healthcare and we are constantly evaluating new potential projects. One of the most successful delivered so far has been vein finder devices. These small handheld units illuminate the veins in young children which makes it much easier for the professionals to take blood samples and insert cannula’s and reduces the stress and discomfort of the experience for the child significantly.


"As a clinician I have used the VeinFinder in Oxford on multiple occasions to deal with children that have seemed almost impossible to gain IV access. The most recent of these was on a night shift with a 2 year old patient that had a complex congenital syndrome and multiple previous operations which had required IV access. Their cannula had stopped working and they needed fluids and antibiotics overnight
before an important surgical procedure. With an unsuccessful initial attempt and review by myself and another colleague we could not identify an area for access, after getting the VeinFinder we were successful on the next attempt. I am very thankful toThinking Of Oscar for providing these to help in this and other such difficult circumstances."

David Fawkner-Corbett MBChB
MPhil MRCS, Academic Clinical Fellow in Paediatric Surgery, Oxford University Hospital Trust

We have also raised money with a view to creating a paediatric procedures unit at Oxford’s John Radcliffe Hospital. This project will take a number of years to complete because it involves changing the usage of hospital buildings and so we have decided to delay the completion of it in order to tie in with other building use changes. The benefit of this is that there will be economies of scale and the longevity of the unit will be increased because it will be part of a longer term solution.


What will my money be spent on?


Here’s a brief description about some of the projects we are currently evaluating to give you a flavour of how you could be helping children and their families by donating to Thinking of Oscar:

* Super Hero packs for children who need intravenous drugs. So that they feel that this treatment is their superpower. Comes complete with shield for over the cannula and a super hero cape - c. £35

* Training programmes and simulations to help staff responding to continue to think strategically and clearly in high pressure situations. Technology and programmes to enable earlier detection of specific conditions. c. £2,000

* Additional Vein Finders for Paediatric Units across the country - c. £3,500


* An interactive floor projector to entertain, distract and de-stress children in the hospital environment. They can play a game of virtual football, kick virtual leaves to reveal an image underneath and play individually and together - c. £8,000.


* An app to give children an idea of what to expect when they come into hospital, provide simple explanations of some conditions and procedures, remind them of anything relevant once they have been discharged. It could also bridge communication between parents and the hospital, facilitating a better overall understanding of the child and their condition - c. £10,000


We evaluate potential projects based upon a number of factors but one of the most important of those is how replicable it is in order that we can implement the same project across multiple UK Children’s hospitals.


Please visit www.thinkingofoscar.com to keep an eye on our progress and the status of the projects we fund.

THANK YOU.