Christmas Appeal
Support our young patients
Make a difference for our youngest patients
Our teams work together, across our family of hospitals, to provide specialist care for patients at every stage of life – from before birth, throughout childhood and beyond. They are there to support patients and their families through some of their toughest times. But we are here to help them to do more.
From specialist equipment that supports the treatment of newborn babies, to therapeutic play for children who need comfort and connection during their time in our care – your support will help fund projects and services that really matter.
Keep poorly twins together
Arlo and Hudson’s Story
Arlo and Hudson were born at 28 weeks old, but had very different needs. Hudson was home in four weeks, but his condition worsened and he ended up back in Hospital and in an incubator on PICU. Arlo spent six weeks incubated before his condition deteriorated and he was taken to Saint Mary’s Hospital for lung surgery. He spent four months as an inpatient, before returning home and remaining on oxygen.
Now eight, Arlo has breathing issues and mild cerebral palsy. Following a smooth transition from Saint Mary’s Hospital, he continues his care at Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital, under respiratory, gastrologist and endocrinological experts.
Give babies the best chance
Robbie’s Story
Whilst he was still in the womb, Robbie was diagnosed with Haemolytic Disease of the Fetus and Newborn (HDFN), a condition where his red blood cells were being broken down by his mum’s antibodies. Robbie’s HDFN, also known as severe rhesus disease, meant that he needed three high-risk blood transfusions whilst he was still in the womb – a procedure that Saint Mary’s Hospital is one of a few in the UK to deliver.
Once Robbie was born, he spent his first week in the NICU receiving light therapy for haemolytic anaemia, which meant his red blood cells were being destroyed faster than his bone marrow could make them. By six months, he underwent four more blood transfusions at Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital.
Now, Robbie is six. His story is a testament to the impact we can have when we work together – from specialised holistic care, to Charity-funded accommodation on NICU, to sensory play used to distract him during ECGs, to the pioneering research that enabled him to receive life-saving fetal blood transfusions. You can help us continue to make a difference.
Make Christmas magical
Rudolph’s Story
Born at only 24 weeks, Rudolph needed a lot of help with his breathing as his lungs had not yet fully developed. Because he was born so early, and parts of his airways were softer and floppier than they should be, it was harder for him to breathe properly. He was diagnosed with chronic lung disease, tracheomalacia and right middle lobe emphysema, and needed a tracheostomy and long-term ventilator support, which at one point was constant.
Starting on NICU, then bouncing between PICU and PHDU depending on the level of care he required, Rudolph’s journey was not an easy one. Eventually, he moved to Ward 83, where he remained until he finally became less dependent on the ventilator and got to go home almost two years later.
Christmas for the family was spent in hospital, but your support helped bring a little bit of magic to them. Through Charity-funded gifts, activities, events and some very special sports team visits, the family were able to forget they were in hospital for just a little while. For just a little while, Rudolph got to just be a child and make happy memories.
Our Projects
Twin Pods
Help us to ensure more twins begin their journey to recovery side by side, just as they have been since before they were even born.
MediCinema
This year, we need your continued support to help us fund the ongoing running costs of the MediCinema, which includes providing specially trained MediCinema nurses and volunteers to support patients, and deliver more movie magic.
Therapeutic Play Services
For children in hospital, play is medicine too. Support our Therapeutic Play Team to continue to help our young patients to adjust to their time in hospital, manage their fears and support their recovery.
Burns Camp
Our paediatric Burns Unit runs annual two week-long, residential Burns Camps – one camp for children aged 5-10 and one for those aged 11-16. Both camps provide fun activities geared towards rehabilitation and increasing self-esteem.
CREW Project
Support the Creativity, Resilience, Enablement and Wellbeing (CREW) project, which helps young people in our inpatient mental health unit reconnect with themselves at a critical point in their care and enables staff caring for them to offer the right support when it matters most.
Songbirds
The Songbirds@RMCH programme brings specialist musicians into Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital to work alongside clinical and therapeutic teams in the Paediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU), to offer live, responsive music tailored to each child.
Christmas Appeal
Donating Gifts to Our Patients
We know that our kind supporters like to send gifts to our patients in hospital at this time of year.
Whilst this is lovely and we are so grateful for your generosity, often these gifts are unsuitable for all and so many patients are left out.
Instead, we ask that you consider making a cash donation this Christmas. Not only will this ensure all patients benefit, but it will allow us to make the biggest possible impact with your donation.
If you do decide that you would like to donate gifts to our hospital, you can contact us at charity@mft.nhs.uk or on 0161 276 4522 to find out more about the process. Please note that they must be brand new and in their original packaging – due to health and safety, we are unable to accept second-hand or homemade donations.
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