To put it simply, the wonderful people at Birmingham Children's Hospital saved my life. In 1999 I was born with Pulmonary Atresia - a congenital heart defect that, back then, had nobody living with it past the age of 20. When I was 10 months old I had open heart surgery, as part of a clinical trial, where I was given a bovine artery. They didn't expect it to last more than a few years, but it went so well that I didn't require open heart surgery again until I was 14, where the bovine artery was replaced with a human one. Within that time period, I had many in-patient stays for cardiac catheterisations. I have met so many amazing people over the years - from doctors, to nurses, to cleaners, to admin staff among many others, and they have all made what can be a daunting time for any child and their parents as good an experience as it possibly can be.

I was also so lucky to have a brilliant cardiologist, that not only took great care of me (and my parents), but also arranged for me to have 2 weeks of incredible work experience at BCH after my GCSEs. This allowed me to see even more of the amazing work that goes on at BCH outside of my own experience and to meet the hero that saved my life as a baby when he was my surgeon (Mr Bill Brawn).

Now, looking at me, you probably wouldn't even suspect I had a heart condition. I am also a medical student and hope that, one day, I can help other children, just as Birmingham Children's Hospital have helped me.

Although I am no longer a patient a BCH, it's never too late to start raising some money, and this hospital will always have a special place in my heart. I am extremely lucky to be here today, and I owe it all to Birmingham Children's Hospital.

At Birmingham Children’s Hospital Charity, we believe there’s always more we can do for our sick kids and that’s why we will always strive to do more for our patients and families. It’s our mission to raise the vital funds needed to make a real difference to all who use our hospital.Your support empowers us to take innovative approaches to treating some of the sickest children in the UK. Your fundraising enables us to make our hospital feel just like home. Your donations are helping us to find new ways to treat and cure childhood diseases.