Those who know me will know I'm a deeply private person, and my family mean everything to me but I share these details to give some perspective on why this charity is important to Rach and I.

Archie is our little bonus, coming as a bit of a surprise, he's had some complex issues along the way, not least finding out he was born with a condition known as "Situs Inversus" many of his organs developed on the "wrong" side with a hole in the heart and his heart back to front. He's a cheeky chappy with a huge smile and developing fine, but then we found that some of the plates of his skull have fused too early.  He was referred to Alder Hey and will soon be facing craniofaical surgery to rectify this. I'll be honest the thought of such intrusive surgery on our little boy terrifies me, but I've been hugely reassured speaking with the consultants and info they've shared and the balance they've provided to enable us to make such a difficult decision.

Since our referral Alder Hey have been nothing short of incredible, and learning about what they do for children and their families is truly humbling.  We wanted to do something to say thank you and help their ongoing fundraising to support their plans for a new neonatal intensive care unit.

We may not get round this course in a decent timez but we'll have a laugh, take some photos, and one day show Archie what we achieved in thanks to those who provided such incredible support for him when he was younger. 

Please consider giving generously, and here's a little more info on where your donation will make a difference.

In Autumn 2021 Alder Hey Childrens Charity launched a £2.5m Surgical Neonatal Appeal, supported by Liverpool legend Jamie Carragher. The new Surgical Neonatal Intensive Care Unit is a joint project between Alder Hey and Liverpool Womens NHS Foundation Trust.The planned unit will address a shared concern between the hospital Trusts that newborn babies who need specialist surgery currently have to be transferred to Alder Hey to get the care they need, before being transferred back to Liverpool Womens Hospital to continue their neonatal care after surgery has been completed. The new unit will allow all surgical neonatal care to be provided from Alder Hey rather than between multiple facilities, which has multiple benefits for the baby and the families.The planned facility will cost £16.5m to build with the Charity Appeal planning to contribute £2.5m.