Archies Story:

Let me tell you about my beautiful Grandson Archie Wilcox and why we are raising money for Bristol Children’s Hospital and the Cots for Tots charity.

During my daughter’s pregnancy a routine scan showed some abnormalities with the pregnancy, Archie was subsequently diagnosed with a Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia. A small tear in the Diaphragm allows the abdominal contents to pass it to the chest cavity. This can lead to malformation of the lungs and heart and is untreatable until the child is born.

Archie was born in December 2020 and being the brave little boy he was, fought so bravely for eight days before passing away a few days before Christmas.

All the staff at the hospital were amazing working so hard to make Archies life as peaceful as possible. Cots for Tots provided accommodation for Archies mum and dad so they could spend every precious second by his side.

Archie the Astronaut is now soaring through the stars, shining his beautiful light on us all. However there are so many more children like Archie that need help, so please give what you can to this amazing charity.

From helping staff, patients or their families, The Grand Appeal puts Bristol Children's Hospital at the heart of everything they do.

They support the hospital through:

Family accommodation: they run three accommodation houses that provide a safe and supportive place for families to stay while their child is in hospital.

Medical research: they invest in medical research programmes to ensure the hospital remains a hub of innovation, where everyday experts pave the way for sick children through a network of projects with international impact.

Equipment: they fund state-of-the-art equipment to save lives.

Music, play and art therapy: their music, play and arts programme can be seen in every ward at Bristol Children's Hospital, helping young children to deal with the stresses and fears they may face during treatment.

Art enhancements: they work to make sure Bristol Children's Hospital provides a fun, stimulating and comforting space for the brave children it cares for.