Before his second birthday, our son Hugh had been admitted to hospital eight times, including the majority of December 2025. On all of these occasions he was seriously unwell and he was cared for on the High Dependency Unit on the Children's Ward at Russel Hall Hospital. Some of those admissions were incredibly frightening, and without the doctor's nurses and staff, Hugh wouldn't be here today.

To say thank you and help other families who may find themselves in a similar situation, our six-year-old daughter Millie has decided to take on "Millie's Marathon Month" in August 2026. Over the course of the month, she will be running a full marathon distance, one mile at a time.

Millie wants to give something back to the ward that helped her little brother so many times. We are incredibly proud of her for taking on this challenge, and every donation, no matter how small, will help support the amazing work carried out by Russell Hall Children's Ward.

When I asked her how much she would like to raise, she said £2000, but let's see how we go 🤣

Thank you for taking the time to read our story and for supporting Millie on her marathon journey.

The current appeal that the children's ward is fundraising for is:

The children’s services across Russells Hall Hospital, Outpatient and community centres treats over 23,000 children each year from birth to 16 years old.

The children’s appeal was created to help support our young patients during their treatment with a range of conditions and illnesses. It can be daunting and scary time for our young patients whether it is an appointment, long stays during the wards or surgery, we want their time within our services as comfortable and engaging as possible.

The funds raised will help to provide children with resources and activities to distract and offer play therapy whilst an inpatient on the ward or whilst visiting our outpatient departments.

By contributing to our campaign, you will help us purchase vital items such as activities, games, toys for our young patients to enjoy.

Every donation, no matter how small, will make a significant impact.