Hawa’s Story:

Hawa is a strong and determined little girl who has faced incredible challenges in her first year of life. Born early with complex medical needs, Hawa needed a nasogastric (NG) feeding tube to gain enough weight to qualify for life-changing open-heart surgery. Since birth, Hawa has relied on her NG tube for all her nutrition and has never been able to eat like other babies. While this tube has kept her growing, it has also prevented her from experiencing the joys of eating—tasting new flavours, sharing meals with family, and learning to feed herself.

Although the feeding tube was vital in the early days, Hawa no longer needs it from a medical standpoint. However, eating has become a source of fear and discomfort, preventing her from transitioning to oral feeding. With the right specialist therapy, she has a real chance of learning to eat safely. Sadly, this level of intervention is not available through the NHS.

We would like the opportunity to change that. NoTube, a world-renowned feeding therapy programme in Austria, has helped hundreds of children like Hawa become tube-free and discover the joy of eating.

How NoTube Can Help Hawa

NoTube is a non-profit organisation based in Graz, Austria, specialising in helping tube-fed children transition to eating independently. For over 30 years, they have used a proven approach called the Graz Model of Tube Weaning, successfully supporting more than 3,000 children worldwide to overcome tube dependency.

Their expert team of paediatricians, psychologists, therapists, and dietitians understand that many children continue to rely on feeding tubes even when it’s no longer medically necessary. Often, eating becomes associated with fear, discomfort, or trauma. NoTube gently guides families through this journey, helping children rediscover the ability and confidence to eat by mouth in a safe and supportive environment.

We are hoping for Hawa to participate in NoTube’s Eating School — a two-week intensive treatment programme in Austria, followed by six months of telemedical follow-up to ensure a safe and successful transition away from tube feeding.

Without this intervention, Hawa will likely require a surgically placed gastrostomy (PEG), a more permanent feeding tube inserted into her stomach. This would mean another operation and a much longer journey before she could ever eat on her own. We want to give her the best possible chance to avoid this outcome and embrace the simple pleasure of eating.

How Can You Help Hawa?

We understand how important it is for donors to feel reassured that their generosity is making a real difference. That’s why we’ve partnered with Tree of Hope, a registered UK children’s charity that helps families access medical treatments and therapies not available through the NHS.

We are aiming to raise £12,000 to cover the cost of Hawa’s treatment at NoTube. Every penny donated will go into a secure fund managed by Tree of Hope and will be used solely for Hawa’s therapy and related medical expenses. For full transparency, Tree of Hope will pay NoTube directly — we, as a family, will not personally handle any of the donations. Everything is managed securely through the charity’s trusted processes.

This partnership allows us to focus fully on caring for Hawa, while giving you peace of mind that your generosity is being used exactly where it’s needed most.

If you’d like to learn more about NoTube’s treatment approach and the associated costs, please visit www.notube.com

Every contribution, no matter the size, brings us closer to the day Hawa can take her first real bite of food — and gives us a break from tube feeding her every four hours (yes, even overnight).

Please consider donating and sharing Hawa’s story to help us reach this goal. Even if you’re unable to donate, sharing her story would mean the world to us.

Thank you for your kindness and support — we can’t wait to update you on Hawa’s progress.

With love & prayers,

Hawa’s Mum & Dad x

Important Notes from Tree of Hope:

7.5% of all donations to Tree of Hope in relation to this appeal will be allocated to their core operating costs, enabling them to continue supporting other families in need.

If we raise insufficient or surplus funds, they will be used, if appropriate, for Hawa’s ongoing needs in line with Tree of Hope’s charitable objectives. If, in those circumstances, we are unable to use all or part of the funds for Hawa’s benefit, any remaining funds will be directed to support other children through Tree of Hope’s charitable work.