Elizabeth Soffe Birmingham Children’s Hospital Entrance appeal
Liam Soffe is raising money for Birmingham Children’s Hospital Charity
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This year Elizabeth has decided to raise money for Birmingham Children's Hospital's appealed for £3m to transform its front entrance.
The hospital's campaign, named It Starts Here, hopes to turn the entrance into a "welcoming, child-friendly" space to help reduce patients' fear and anxiety.
Since the day Elizabeth arrived ten years ago, after being severly burned in a fire, the entrance has not changed. The hospital described the current entry point as a "cramped and dull" space that does not "reflect the world-class care that takes place beyond it".
New designs for the entrance are being developed with patients, families and staff at the hospital to help put children at ease.
To raise the money Elizabeth is undertaking BCH's challenge to walk, cycle jog or run 62 miles throughout the 31 days of October. But this isn't good enough for Elizabeth, she plans to use all forms of transport; ice scating, roller skates, wheelbarrow, downhill rollie pollies and on and on. 62 miles in October using every method she can think of. Wish her luck (through sponsorship!).
When she was six months old and living in Qatar Elizabeth Soffe’s cot caught fire when an air conditioning unit malfunctioned. She was severely burned and was extremely close to dying. Luckily, she was taken by air ambulance to Birmingham Children’s Hospital where she underwent weeks of complex plastic surgery and reconstruction operations. Miraculously Elizabeth survived weeks in a coma and months recovering in the Burns Centre at BCH.
Elizabeth’s injuries are significant. She was burnt down to her skull leaving her without hair. She lost one of her ears and a lot of her nose. She received full thickness burns to 60% of her body. She lost most of her fingers. In the 10 years since the fire she has had over 100 operations; Reconstruction of her face and hands, skin grafts, releases of skin grafts and laser treatment. She has daily physiotherapy and occupational therapy to treat her scars and ensure her range of movement is maintained and she will need many more operations as she grows up.
Despite all of this Elizabeth has grown into a remarkably confident, happy and wise ten year old. She is the most enthusiastic child imaginable, exhausting those around her.
Elizabeth has shown a keen interest in engaging with others who have also suffered scaring and disfigurement and is an Ambassador for the Scarfree Foundation working to eradicate scars and has also worked with the charity Changing Faces to raise awareness of how people with disfigurement are treated. Elizabeth also shares her thoughts on her mother’s Instagram page.
If you would like to know more about Elizabeth some links are below.