Throughout the month of October I am going to try cycle the distance of my house to the hospital (15 miles!) 

Please sponsor me and help support Glasgow Children's Hospital Charity. Here is my story;

When I was born, I weighed only 5.5lbs. After giving Mum a quick cuddle, I was taken immediately to Yorkhill Children’s Hospital’s intensive care unit.

It was here in my first few hours that I was diagnosed with Down’s Syndrome and oesophageal atresia which is a condition meaning my oesophagus was not connected to my stomach.

At one day old I faced my first surgery which would enable me to be fed straight into my stomach. This was followed by 3 more months in hospital, and more surgery before finally getting home for the first time at 5 months old. 

The next seven months were spent making trips back and forth to the hospital for surgeries, with me facing life-threatening complications when I was only one.

I was taken to the ICU and for five long months things had to be taken minute by minute. Thanks to the dedication and hard work of the doctors and nurses of Yorkhill, I started to get stronger! It wasn't until August 2004, after over 250 nights spent in hospital and many surgeries, that I was finally able to go home for good.

DAD: "When faced with the task of finding a way to show your gratitude, it seems that “thank you” just isn't enough. We will always be grateful to those who saved Angela’s life and gave her the opportunity to grow into the amazing young lady she is. We have nothing but admiration and respect for the work the doctors, nurses and charity do together and we hope that by fundraising we can help them continue to keep doing what they do so well."

Now 17, despite my challenging start, I am thriving and my family say that I continue to amaze and inspire them with my kindness and generosity.

I am proud of my special connection to the children's hospital, I love giving back. I have decided to dress up my bike and cycle my socks off for Pedal It Purple:

MUM: "Angela has a big heart and it shows every day. She calls Glasgow Children's Hospital Charity "my charity” because she knows she spent time in the hospital, but also because she genuinely loves to support and fundraise for them. From her Charity Sweet 16 to her 'DIY McDonald’s Party', she enjoys coming up with new ways to get her family involved."

Thanks for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page.

Donating through JustGiving is simple, fast and totally secure. Your details are safe with JustGiving - they'll never sell them on or send unwanted emails. Once you donate, they'll send your money directly to the charity. So it's the most efficient way to donate - saving time and cutting costs for the charity.