A CITY dad has donated over £1,700 to Birmingham Children’s Hospital Charity after completing various superhero-themed fundraising to say thank you to the doctors and nurses caring for his son.
Phil Walker, from Coundon, mustered incredible support from his family and friends and raised a whopping £1,782 in just 12 weeks for the hospital’s Heart, Renal and Intensive Care Units.
The 36-year-old, who took part in a sponsored superhero photo shoot with his two-year-old superman Joseph, as well as a sponsored head shave, was inspired to give something back to the hospital that has looked after Joseph since he was ten-months-old.
Experts at the children’s hospital diagnosed Joseph with two rare, life-threatening conditions; Midaortic Syndrome (MAS) – a condition which causes a narrowing of the main abdominal blood vessel that delivers blood throughout the body and Aortic Regurgitation – a leakage of the heart valve.
On top of his diagnosis, Joseph also suffered kidney failure as a result of his MAS and a third condition called Renal Artery Stenosis – a narrowing of the arteries that carry blood to one or both of the kidneys.
Commenting on the importance of fundraising, dad Phil said:
“Having a child in hospital can be completely heart-breaking and as a parent, you feel so empty hearing that your little boy is battling not one, but two life-threatening conditions.
“Witnessing first-hand the amazing work of the staff at Birmingham Children’s Hospital, I really wanted to give a little back to hopefully help save the lives of other poorly children.
“With Joseph being my very own superhero, it seemed fitting to do something around that theme too.”
Over a year on from his first visit to the hospital, Joseph’s renal condition is now stable; however his heart defect is still being treated.
His family, who presented their cheque at Birmingham Children’s Hospital dressed head-to-toe in superhero attire, plan to continue their fundraising in the future in a bid to repay their debt of gratitude.
Miranda Williams, Public Fundraising Manager at Birmingham Children’s Hospital Charity, added: “We are thankful to Phil and his family for not only raising such a wonderful amount, but also visiting our hospital in costume and creating a magical day for the children in our care.
“The money they have donated is hugely appreciated and every penny will help to make a massive difference to the brave children and families at Birmingham Children’s Hospital.”
For more information on Birmingham Children’s Hospital Charity visit www.bch.org.uk, email [email protected] or call 0121 333 8506.