Hi Guys! My name is Rosa and I am 1 year old.  The lady in the photo with me is my mummy and she is much older!  I love Paw Patrol, dancing and pombears...my mummy loves high heels, handbags and prosecco!

She is not so much the trainers, sweat and running type...I mean she thought she had entered a 10k, a good starting point for her first ever run, daddy had to point out the difference, only an extra 7 miles mummy...ouch!

That being said she has been out training daily, inspired by the amazing Birmingham Childrens Hospital charity that she has pledged to raise funds for after the hospital took over my care back in December.

I'll let mummy tell you a little about my hospital journey and the amazing services and facilities any monies raised will help support!

#keepsmiling

Rosa x

Rosa was born a beautiful happy healthy baby girl after a fairly complicated pregnancy...she was a true diva even before she was born. At a few weeks old she began to have some problems with her bowel which progressed fairly quickly requiring hospital treatments, tests and various types of medication to manage the painful and at times debilitating symptoms.

To date despite countless blood tests, biopsies, specialist bowel diagnostic tests and scans Rosas condition remains nameless. However funds like those we hope you are able to donate to go such a long way towards getting that diagnosis.  There are thousands of children in Rosas position today awaiting results for all kinds of things that come through innovative medical approaches and techniques such as the genetic screening Rosa is currently waiting to hear results from.

But for me, the mum of a child who has been an inpatient at BCH those vital donations mean even more than that. Those donations are what take the sterile, clinical, daunting atmosphere of a hospital out of the wards and outpatient areas at BCH and make them welcoming, and inviting.  On the wards, the additions of safe, fully equipped playrooms, with soft play areas and sensory lighting mirror home life experiences for many of the children and their siblings like Rosa and Orla who come to visit and spend some much missed time together.  The parents room, equipped again to make meals and hot drinks for those long days and even longer nights on the wards.  The volunteers who are on hand with activities while you wait for appointments to keep the children calm and relaxed and the general atmosphere and buzz that is created in appropriate areas to keep spirits high at times of worry and fear.

No one can prepare you for how you feel when your child is ill and requiring hospital treatment whether that be inpatient or outpatient, long or short term.  But from our experience as a family the help and support  we have received throughout Rosas time as a patient at BCH from the consultants, specialist nurses, the ward teams from the sister through to the cleaner we are truly grateful for.

As Rosa said, I am not a runner, I do not generally do sport but I am truly determined to complete this race and raise as much money as possible for Birmingham Childrens Hospital charity. Please guys dig deep and help support our cause.

Amy x

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.