May 30, 2024 - Following Datapath’s Jolly Jumper fundraising initiative, Event Manager Suzanne Bowery and Senior International Sales Manager Andy Lee spent the day at Birmingham Children’s Hospital to see how the £2,600 raised was being used to enhance the lives and treatment of seriously sick children.

BCH is home to the largest Pediatric Intensive Care Unit in Europe, providing lifesaving and life changing treatment to some of the sickest children across the UK. With over 400,000 patient visits each year, it cares for 1 in 8 families across the region.

The hospital was selected as Datapath’s charity of choice after Andy’s young son, Alfie, was diagnosed with Craniosynostosis shortly after birth. Craniosynostosis is a birth defect in which the bones in a baby’s skull join together too early. He was 7 months old when they operated, and he was in surgery for 7 hours and then spent a week in recovery at the hospital. The superb facilities at BCH ensured Andy and Clair were able to stay with him in the hospital during his treatment.

The money raised by Datapath will help to support Ward 10 – the ward where Alfie spent his time, as well as refreshing the parents’ accommodation areas. The remaining money will go towards future projects planned by BCH later in the year.

Katie Harris, Corporate Partnerships Officer at BCH, explained how the investment in Ward 10 brings improvements not only to treatment, but the experience children and parents have while at the hospital. She said: “Ward 10 is the neurosurgery ward for children who have a problem with their brain or spine.”

“The ward looks after children of all ages for both short- and longer-term stays. Others live mostly at home but come to the ward for a check-up or treatment. If you stay on the ward, you are likely to have a bed in a large bay with other children. The ward has a strong focus on rehabilitation, helping children who have had an illness or injury to do things like walk or talk again. Our therapy services team works regularly with many children on the ward, giving them exercises to help them get better.”

She adds: “There is a playroom here to help keep you entertained. It has a soft play area with plenty of toys and games as well as a TV. The money raised by Datapath will help across the board and we send heartfelt thanks for their wonderful donation.”

Andy Lee spoke of his joy to be able to give back to the hospital that treated his son: “It was fantastic for Suzanne and me to see the latest work that these brilliant doctors and nurses provide and we thank them for their terrific hospitality on the day. On a personal level, I’ll never be able to thank them enough for their amazing skill and dedication, so to help provide this charity with some much-needed funds is both a pleasure and an honour.”

For Datapath, the support does not stop, with numerous other fundraising activities planned for the latter half of 2024 – watch this space.

If you would like to donate directly to Birmingham Children’s Hospital Charity, you can do so via the following link:

Donate – Help Transform The Lives Of Sick Kids | Birmingham Children’s Hospital Charity (bch.org.uk)