Author: inlife

Mum of two from Desford, Rachel Tuckey takes on the elements to raise money for Leicester Children’s Hospital by completing four challenges covering the earth, air, water, and fire.

This weekend Rachel completed her third challenge – water, with five of her friends. This involved taking on 10km, that’s 400 lengths of the Bosworth Academy Pool, completing the challenge in 3 hours and 39 mins. Rachel attended Bosworth Academy as a child and both her sons now take part in the Total Swimming Academies lessons taught at the pool. Rachel was supported by the swimming team there and starting the swimmers off on their pursuit was Olympic gold medallist Becky Adlington.

Leicester Children’s Hospital is incredibly close to Rachel’s heart, the staff and facilities were vital in the care of Rachel’s second son Oscar following his birth in September 2019. Oscar was born five weeks early with several health issues and suffering from bronchiolitis – which culminated in him having severe breathing problems and often left him unable or struggling to breathe for himself.

In the first eight months of Oscar’s life, he was in and out of the hospital. Rachel said: “Our first blue light admission was when Oscar was only two weeks old, with his last – and most critical – in the early hours of 10 March 2019 just a week off his half-year birthday. We had no idea that the Leicester Royal Infirmary would become like a second home to us.”

Following an operation in April 2019, Oscar has gone from strength to strength. So, Rachel decided in celebration of her turning 40 and Oscar turning four years old, she wanted to fundraise for the hospital that helped to keep her a family of four.

Rachel continued: “Leicester Children’s Hospital has done for us what we felt, at times, was the impossible and now I would like to do something as near to impossible for me as I can to help raise much-needed funds for them to continue their incredible work. I can’t explain how much it would mean to me to somehow help to keep other families together against the odds.”

Rachel completed the first challenge, earth, in July, which involved completing the Yorkshire three-peak challenge. Rachel took on the 24-mile trek along with the local fitness group My Tribe Leicestershire who were and are still such a support to her during the difficult times.

The second challenge was a Tandem Skydive in September. This challenge has been the most difficult one of all for Rachel so far conquering her fears to complete the skydive with six of her friends.

Having now completed three out of the four challenges and raising a massive £7,300 so far, Rachel will be preparing to take on a fire challenge later next year and continue to raise more money for Leicester Children’s Hospital.

Kamlesh Mistry, Community and Events Fundraising Manager at Leicester Hospitals Charity said: “Rachel is such an inspirational fundraiser. We’re so proud of her dedication to being able to give back to her local hospital. We will support her any way we can as she continues this quest to complete the challenge of the elements.”

To find out more about the challenge and to donate, please visit: www.justgiving.com/fundraising/4bigchallengesforthebig40

If you have an idea to fundraise for Leicester Hospitals Charity, then get in touch with Kamlesh and the team uhl-tr.lhcharitymailbox@nhs.net or call 0116 258 8709.

Leicester City Football Club (LCFC) men’s first team dropped by yesterday (Monday 12 December) to personally give Christmas presents to young patients at Leicester Children’s Hospital as part of the Club’s annual festive celebrations.

Brendan Rodgers, the players and the staff from LCFC surprised the children staying at the wards with toys, teddies, and other gifts.

LCFC player Patson Daka said: “It’s been a great time. Of course, it’s good to see the kids, it’s always nice to see and I’m sure they didn’t expect it. I think it’s been a great experience.

“Just being here, it’s the last thing you think of, that you’re going to meet Leicester players and for them to have this surprise, I think it has been amazing and a big positive for them.

“We gave them some gifts to let them know that even if they aren’t at home and here instead, they can still have Christmas.

“I hope that it can also give them that feeling of not being left out, knowing that they have always got people out there who care for them and think about them.”

The event was coordinated by Leicester Hospitals Charity and the Charity team were so pleased that LCFC were able to surprise the young patients at Leicester Hospitals.

Lisa Davies, Director said: “We’ve seen in recent times how difficult it is for children. With Covid-19, the cost of living and then on top of that if they’re in hospital due to illness, this was just a little bit of magic and joy that they can experience while many of them recover. Some won’t ever leave the hospital but seeing their hero in person will bring a smile to their face, which is priceless and free.

“Thank you so much to everyone at LCFC for helping make this possible. We’re so proud to have had the opportunity again to coordinate the visit and surprise the children and parents.”

You too can bring a bit of magic to Leicester’s Hospitals; you can give a gift to the Leicester Children’s Hospitals toy drive on Saturday 17 December. You can find out more by visiting www.LHCharity.org.uk/give-to-gift

Leicester Hospitals Charity’s Christmas Appeal 2022 is rallying the community to raise vital funds to save the lives of babies born early or who have become unwell after birth. It only takes £6000 to purchase a Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) machine that will provide lifesaving breathing support for babies in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at Leicester Hospitals.

Four years ago, Jess and her husband Ben were expecting a wonderful Christmas present – the birth of their baby boy Eli. Jess dreamt of her Boxing Day due date and holding her new-born baby in her arms.

At 28 weeks of Jess’ pregnancy, things took a turn for the worse. Eli’s growth slowed down. Doctors calmed Jess’ fears by telling her they would monitor her baby and booked her in for extra scans.

Jess said: “I started to feel unwell. My body was swollen, and I was so tired. One day, I had a routine midwife appointment at the local GP surgery and my blood pressure was sky-high.”

Jess was admitted to the Leicester General Hospital for the night. Jess deteriorated the next day, and doctors recommended that she have an emergency caesarean section. Jess feared for her baby, she went on to say: “Despite my critical condition my only concern was for my baby. I wanted my baby Eli, to be safe.”

The doctors gave Jess a steroid injection to boost Eli’s lungs preparing him for the outside world. On Friday, 26 October, it was time to give birth. The Delivery Team told Jess that she might not get to hold her baby because he needed to go straight to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU). Eli was delivered ten weeks early, that night.

The team swaddled him in a special plastic wrapping to keep him warm and rushed him to the NICU. Meanwhile, Jess was stitched up and sent away to recovery. Jess was worried about her baby; she didn’t know how he was doing or if he’d even survived.

Jess said: “At around 7:30 that evening, Ben went down to see Eli in the NICU. Ben video-called me from the Unit, and I saw Eli placed in an incubator on CPAP therapy. The CPAP machine helped Eli to breathe as his lungs were not fully developed.”

Ward Sister, Alison Nield said: “Eli was born very early and because Eli’s lungs were not fully developed, he needed lifesaving breathing support from a CPAP machine for the first 24 hours of his life.”

Thanks to the amazing care received in the NICU, Eli got stronger and stronger. Because of the steroids, Eli’s lungs were ok and within 24 hours he came off the CPAP. Jess and Ben were relieved and felt like he would make it through.

Each CPAP machine costs £6,000 and will support thousands of babies like Eli who cannot breathe for themselves in their first weeks of life. Replacing a CPAP machine would be the best way to make sure more babies like Eli have access to the right care, at the right time, using the right piece of kit – giving them the chance to spend their first Christmas at home.

You can read Eli’s full story by clicking here and give a gift to help other babies be home for Christmas.

More than 250 people from local and national businesses came together with NHS staff for Leicester Hospitals Charity’s NHS Heroes Ball last night (Thursday 13 October) to raise over £39,000 to help purchase new neonatal ventilators and other equipment to save countless lives.

The event, hosted by Professor Turi King of the University of Leicester was held at Athena Leicester and paid tribute to the heroic NHS staff who have worked tirelessly to care for patients across Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland.

Money was raised through several fundraising activities including live and silent auctions with prizes ranging from a tour of Leicester City Football Club with a signed player shirt to holidays aboard. The money raised on the night will fund brand-new state-of-the-art ventilators.

Dr Jo Behrsin, Consultant Neonatologist, said: “We’re overwhelmed with the generous donation. The Leicester neonatal services have around 1,600 admissions a year and care for some of the smallest and sickest babies. The new equipment will help to save the lives of many babies that struggling to breathe on their own. “A big thank you to everyone who has donated and made the night possible.”

Guests enjoyed live entertainment from Kyle Thomlinson, Adrian Garratt and Mellow Baku while tucking into an exotic three-course Indian meal.

Leicester Hospitals Charity ran the event with Pukaar Group and was supported by Chaiiwala and the University of Leicester, who were headline sponsors. Premier sponsors on the night included local and national companies Kings Real Estate, NTT Data and Anand International.

Vic Sethi from Anand International who was there on the night said: “The staff at Leicester’s Hospitals are true heroes. We all saw how great the NHS was during the Covid-19 pandemic. When the country was in lockdown, the NHS staff worked day and night saving lives. They work so hard and take so much from people.

“I’m so proud of the NHS. The Anand and Sethi family are pleased to sponsor the NHS Heroes Ball this year and continue to support Leicester Hospitals Charity.”

Lisa Davies, Director of Leicester Hospitals Charity, said: “The support from so many businesses and giving so generously was incredibly heart-warming and we are so pleased with all the gifts they have provided. This will go towards helping to care for and save so many babies.”

We’re only days away from Leicester Hospitals Charity’s prestigious event – The NHS Heroes Ball, in association with Pukaar Group. In its second year, the event celebrates the fantastic staff at Leicester’s Hospitals and will once again raise money for the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit.

The charity is bringing together colleagues from across Leicester’s business community to celebrate the amazing staff at Leicester’s Hospitals who provide care across Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland.

Lisa Davies, Director of Leicester Hospitals Charity, said: “Everything is coming together for the night and we’re working closely with Pukaar Group to deliver this year’s event, which has already attracted over 200 people.

“On the night we will celebrate and pay tribute to our dedicated and caring hospital staff, while fundraising to replace the ageing ventilators used within the Neonatal Incentive Care Unit. The ventilators help to care for 1,600 babies a year. The money we raise on the evening will help purchase the state-of-the-art equipment to care for newborn babies and give them the best start in life.”

The event has attracted several companies from across Leicestershire, Lisa continues to say: “We’re so pleased to have two local establishments in Leicester, Chaiiwala and the University of Leicester as our joint headline sponsors. We want to thank them and our premiere sponsors Anand International, Kings Real Estate and NTT Data for their continued support.

“We’re so proud of all the companies supporting this event. Even during these difficult times, local businesses are still giving back to the NHS and helping ensure patients, their carers and staff get the best treatment and care at our local hospitals.”

The event is taking place on the evening of Thursday 13 October at the Athena Events Venue in Leicester. You can find out more about the event by clicking here or follow us on social media.

On the weekend 80 people from across Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland took part in Leicester Hospitals Charity’s The BIG Abseil event and have raised a massive £23,000 so far.

The BIG Abseil is one of the charity’s extreme events that involve participants abseiling down the 100ft wall on the Windsor Building at Leicester Royal Infirmary. Participants took part on Saturday and Sunday (1 and 2 Oct) without any preparation and turned up for their chance to step over the ledge all in the name of charity.

Elizabeth Cardwell, Training Facilitator at Leicester’s Hospitals took on the wall on Saturday and said: “Being able to give back to Leicester’s Hospitals is always something I’ve wanted to do, but I thought let’s make it interesting and do something a little challenging, so I signed up for The BIG Abseil.

“It always amazes me the way that patients tackle sometimes challenging personal circumstances. When the opportunity came up to help fundraise to support our local hospitals it was something despite my fears I wanted to do.

“Every day I am in awe of how wonderful our patients are and how in particular children approach and deal with life events such as diagnoses and treatment. One little girl called Freya touched my heart and I thought of her among many others as my heart was pounding stepping off the roof.

“It was one of the toughest things I have ever done but with the support of those around me, and the faces of patients in my mind I did it!

“Huge thanks to the charity team for supporting me and for all those who sponsored me. It is true; anything is possible when it comes to facing your fears!”

Leading the event was Kamlesh Mistry, Community and Events Fundraising Manager for the charity and he said: “We’re so proud of all the participants, they’ve all done well over the two days. Standing at the top of the building looking down is quite daunting and then taking that first step to come down can be very scary.

“The support for this event has been overwhelming. All those who took part got to choose which area of the hospital will benefit from the money they’ve raised, and they should be proud of what they’ve achieved. Well done everyone.”

If you would like to fundraise by taking part in up-and-coming events or by organising your own event for Leicester Hospitals Charity, get in touch with Kamlesh and his team on 0116 258 8709 or visit our www.LHCharity.org.uk

Thousands of runners will take part in this weekend’s TCS London Marathon on Sunday 2 October, each with their reason for taking part. For the runners supporting Leicester Hospitals Charity it is their way of giving back to Leicester’s Hospitals.

Alice Billson, Ben Hardy, Chris Packwood, Erol Gaillard, Henry Povos, Joe Hockenhull, Mark Pothecary, Olivia Pugh and Tom Dicicco, have been training intensely to take part in this year’s marathon. All nine supporters will run the scenic 26.2-mile route around London to help raise money for the areas of Leicester’s Hospitals that have impacted their or a family member’s life.

Tom Dicicco an avid runner was keen to take on his biggest challenge – the London Marathon. When the opportunity came to run for Leicester Hospitals Charity, Tom said: “I couldn’t think of a better cause.”

Tom’s son Lorenzo was born in January 2019 at Leicester General Hospital, at only one day old Lorenzo had an undiagnosed diaphragmatic hernia, he was critically ill and required urgent specialist treatment.

Lorenzo was transferred to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at Leicester Royal Infirmary (LRI) to get a life-saving operation. Not knowing if he would even survive the ambulance journey there, Tom and his wife waited anxiously by their baby son’s incubator.

Tom remembers what he was thinking at the time: “Sitting by Lorenzo’s incubator I vowed to give something back to the hospital when the time was right.”

So this year Tom is completing the marathon to give thanks to all the wonderful staff who supported him and his wife, he continued to say: “If it wasn’t for the incredible staff at LRI, working day and night to save our little boy, he wouldn’t be with us today. He is now a thriving happy three-year-old.”

Tom Dicicco in the LHC running vest

So far all nine runners have raised an amazing £15,000 for Leicester’s Hospitals. If you would like to support your local hospital and would like a slot for next year’s London Marathon please get in touch with the Leicester Hospitals Charity Team on 0116 2258 8709 or email: uhl-tr.lhcharitymailbox@nhs.net.

Leicester Hospitals Charity is once again hosting its prestigious NHS Heroes Ball, in association with Pukaar Group, to celebrate the fantastic staff at our local NHS hospitals and to raise money to support Leicester Hospital’s Neonatal Intensive Care Unit.

The event in October will bring together colleagues from across Leicester’s business community and will be an opportunity for those who attend to celebrate NHS Leicester’s Hospital’s staff that provide care across Leicestershire.

Lisa Davies, Director of Leicester Hospitals Charity, said: “We’re so pleased to have the support from Chaiiwala and the University of Leicester as our joint headline sponsors this year and thank you to our additional premiere sponsors, Anand International, Kings Real Estate, NTT Data and Pramod Thakkar for their support.

“We’re so proud of all the local companies supporting this event. Even during these difficult times, local businesses are still giving back to the NHS and helping to ensure patients, staff and visitors get the very best treatment and care at our local NHS Hospitals.

“On the night we will be celebrating and paying tribute to our dedicated and caring hospital staff. Our fundraising during the event will be directed to replacing the ageing ventilators which are used to help to care for 1,600 babies a year. All funds raised will be used to purchase the state-of-the-art equipment to care for new-born babies and give them the best start in life.”

During the evening of Thursday 13 October, guests can take part in silent and live auctions, or make pledges, while enjoying an exotic three-course Indian meal and live entertainment.

Tickets for the event are currently being sold, with a table of ten starting from £1,500, please get in touch with Asiya Parekh on 0116 258 8709 or visit leicesterhospitalscharity.org.uk/nhs-heroes-ball to find out more and to book your table.

Following yesterday’s announcement by Leicester City Football Club for the generous £1 million gift to our Neonatal Incubators Appeal, Leicester Hospitals Charity Director, Lisa Davies said:

“We’ve been taken by surprise by the generous gift from the Chairman Khun Aiyawatt Srivaddhanaprabha. Its incredible news for our neonatal team, the money will help to support and save thousands babies lives. Thank you to Leicester City Football Club and the fans for their support with this appeal.”

Four years ago, Asiya Parekh, her husband Imran and their little son Yahya started a tradition of taking Eid gifts to Ward 30 (Children’s Cardiac) at the Leicester Glenfield Hospital. Fast forward to today, Asiya is now working for Leicester Hospitals Charity and during the month of Ramadan hosted a live radio show on Ramadan Radio to fundraise over £5,000. With the fantastic amount of donations from the community, Asiya and Imran were able to gift toy hampers to all the children wards at Leicester Children’s Hospital in time for Eid at the beginning of May.

Asiya’s son Yahya was born with complex congenital heart conditions and received treatment at the East Midlands Congenital Heart Centre (EMCHC). While he was staying there, the ward received and distributed Easter Eggs to all the children. Even though Asiya and her family don’t celebrate Easter they were thrilled to receive the small gift. In that same spirit Asiya and Imran decided to donate gifts to bring some joy and happiness during Eid celebration to the children staying at EMCHC each year.

Sadly, Yahya is no longer with Asiya and Imran; however they both continue to bring gifts in to the wards each Eid. This year, Asiya went even further and working for the charity, she reached out to the local community of Leicester to help raise a total of £5,416 to buy toy hampers for the children’s wards to play with during Eid celebrations.

L to R: Lesley White and Helen Hayles (both Play Specialists from children’s ward), Asiya Parekh-Rawat and Dr Fox (Kamlesh Mistry)

Asiya said: “Yahya passed when he was two years old, and although our hearts ache for him, we are tied to him by this amazing tradition we’ve started.

“This year, was my first Eid as an employee of Leicester Hospitals Charity and they have been wonderful in the support they’ve given to me to fundraise widely for Eid gifts for all the children’s wards across the hospitals.”

Lisa Davies, Director of Leicester Hospitals Charity said: “It’s wonderful having Asiya as part of our fundraising team, she’s known throughout the Leicester community, and her personal journey and passion to give back is amazing.

“Our hospitals are always in need of support and by fundraising you can help us purchase items like toys for children staying in the wards, which will bring some happiness and distraction while recovering from treatment.”

Asiya was on Ramadan Radio 87.7FM every Thursday at 1pm sharing her story, as well as the stories of other parents whose children have received care from our Leicester Children’s Hospital. You can listen back to all the shows via the Ramadan Radio Facebook page.

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