A dad-of-two from Blackpool has helped raise £10,000 for our MediCinema Appeal after his extraordinary fundraising journey caught the attention of Michael McIntyre.

Ben Cross has spent years completing a series of remarkable fundraising challenges leading up to the 10-year anniversary of his son’s life-saving treatment at the hospital, including wrestling events and sponsored walks totalling over £23,000.

In March 2016, Ben’s son, Charlie, was just four-years-old when a bout of chickenpox and a strep infection led him to contract both sepsis and necrotising fasciitis, a rare but serious bacterial infection that attacks the body’s soft tissue.

Charlie was blue-lighted to Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital and admitted to the Paediatric Intensive Care Unit where he underwent five life-saving operations in just one week. The surgery removed any infected tissue from Charlie’s chest area and thankfully, after the first week he was off the ventilator and breathing for himself.

In the 10 years since Charlie’s hospital stay, Ben has continued to fundraise for the hospital. He most recently completed a 24-hour indoor cycling challenge covering 500km to raise money for the hospital’s MediCinema Appeal.

The Appeal aims to build Manchester’s first-ever in-hospital cinema, in partnership with the BAFTA Award-winning charity, MediCinema. This exciting project will establish a fully accessible 50-seat cinema at no cost to the NHS, bringing the magic of the big screen to thousands of patients across Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust’s Oxford Road Campus hospitals, including Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital and Manchester Royal Infirmary.

The £1.1 million appeal will fund both the construction and initial running costs of the cinema, providing patients with a therapeutic escape during long or frequent hospital stays. An existing lecture theatre will be transformed into a purpose-built, fully accessible cinema, designed to accommodate wheelchairs, hospital beds, and medical equipment. The facility will also feature inclusive accessibility options, including subtitles, audio description, and sensory-friendly screenings.

Up to 260 films per year will be shown, supported by MediCinema nurses and trained volunteers, with personalised screenings available for patients in sensitive circumstances. This initiative promises to bring joy, comfort and a much-needed sense of normalcy to patients and their families during challenging times.

Speaking on his decision to support the MediCinema Appeal, Ben said: “When Charlie was recovering in hospital after waking up from a coma, for the weeks after we would always watch films together as a family. It was one of the few things we could do together.

“Charlie had a portable DVD player and after everything he’d been through and having everything going at a million miles per hour, he just wanted to watch Scooby Doo and Batman, so we would watch them again and again together to keep him company.

“Watching movies became something special for us to do together. It’s a tradition that we still do as a family to this day. A MediCinema would make that possible for so many children, so I wanted to support Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital to give back and show my appreciation.

“When I’m doing these challenges, your mind drifts and it’s easy to think of Charlie in hospital and the staff who worked tirelessly to help him to put things into perspective.”

Last year, Ben also completed a wrestling-inspired fundraising challenge with his sons, Charlie and Dexter, supported by their local wrestling academy in Blackpool. Together they recreated iconic WWE moments in daily videos over two weeks, using their shared passion for wrestling to raise funds for Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital.

As well as receiving support from his family and friends, Ben’s fundraising also caught the attention of television producers, leading to a surprise appearance on an episode of the new series of BBC1’s Michael McIntyre’s Big Show for his sons.

The Cross family, along with their friends, were invited to the AO Arena under the pretence that they had won VIP tickets to a wrestling event.

Once inside the arena, the boys had an unforgettable experience as they met professional wrestlers, tried on wrestling costumes and were invited on stage during the show. There, they were introduced to a debut wrestling duo known as ‘The Manchester Maniacs’.

The duo went on to face two professional wrestling superstars, collectively known as New Day, and won the match to huge applause from the packed venue. However, it was only after the skit ended that the audience discovered the wrestlers’ true identities, none other than Michael McIntyre and Ben.

The arena surprise was filmed in August, before further filming took place at the family’s home and at a live recording of the show in October, which aired on Saturday (24^th January). During the segment, £10,000 was donated to the hospital’s MediCinema Appeal by the show and WWE, courtesy of the production company Hungry McBear.

Ben added: “It was absolutely nerve-wracking! I had to keep the whole thing a secret, not even my wife Nicola knew at first and I couldn’t tell anyone around me in the weeks leading up to the event.

“I had a secret mic, got measured for a costume, had to film bits of myself at the gym, and basically pretend everything was normal. Then, during the wrestling show, I pretended to take a phone call so that I could slip away and change into costume.

“Meeting Michael McIntyre was surreal, he was so lovely and made everything feel fun, even though I was panicking inside! I asked him before we went on stage together whether this was one of the more extreme things he’d done, and he laughed and agreed with me.

“When I finally went on stage in front of thousands of people, seeing my boys’ faces when they realised it was me was priceless. I don’t think I’ve ever felt anything like it. They had no idea that I was involved, I wanted it to be a true surprise.

“Knowing that our efforts will help to bring happiness to children in hospital, children like Charlie, makes every training session, every challenge and fundraising effort absolutely worth it.”

Donna O’Reilly, Senior Community Fundraising Manager at Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital said: “We are so delighted that Ben has decided to fundraise for our MediCinema Appeal. His incredible support for such an amazing cause will bring magic into the lives of our patients and their families when they need it most.

“We also want to extend a heartfelt thank you to Michael McIntyre’s Big Show for their generous donation of £10,000 towards our MediCinema Appeal and for using their platform to shine a light on the difference this will make to children and families in hospital.

“Small moments of joy and normality, like watching a film together, can make a huge difference to children and their families facing long or frequent hospital visits. We are so thankful to everyone who is helping to make this dream a reality.”