A Hartshorne mother whose young daughter had to undergo 20 hospital operations in just three months is aiming to make sick patients' Christmas wishes come true with an array of gift donations.
Sarah Harrison, 35, is spending her spare time collecting toy donations for poorly youngsters after being inspired by her little daughter Kyra's battle with hypo-plastic left heart syndrome.
Kyra, who was diagnosed with the condition while Sarah was pregnant with her, had to undergo an eight-and-a-half hour surgery to replumb her heart at just two days old and four months later was struck down again when a blood clot caused damage to the left side of her brain, from which she has suffered ever since.
Sarah said: "It was an horrendous time and I knew we were in for a tough journey. She was so poorly and everything you could think of was wrong with her. She had 20 operations in just three months.
She had e.coli and a septic hip which meant she had to learn to walk again. She has always needed a food and drink tube and spent Christmas 2014 in the hospital."
The Christmas stay in hospital spurred Sarah on with her efforts to help other poorly children.
She said: "I spent 2014 in Birmingham Children's Hospital with Kyra and we tried our best to make it as nice as we possibly could for her but it was just not the same. Because I have been there myself I know how sad and upsetting it is.
"Christmas to me is about being with family and loved ones and creating nice memories but some of the children don’t have families to stay with them and are sat in the hospital by themselves all alone; it is not nice.
"A lady called Ruth Bexon, from Church Gresley, does something similar every year for the community and calls the project "someone cares" I think that is what Christmas is about and if we are in a position to give we should find it in our hearts to be generous.
"I am trying to collect as many presents as I can to split between the children's ward at Burton's Queen's Hospital and Birmingham Children's Hospital. Those poor children are already unwell and not at home with their friends and their family so I just wanted to do what I can to help."
The mother-of-four said she is hoping as "many people as possible" get behind her and said the response so far had been promising.
She said: "This is the first time I have done anything like this so I am hoping that people get behind me and we can help make a difference to as many young people as possible.
"The response has been really good so far and I have had lots of donations of stationery, colouring books, teddy bears and games and others have donated cash that I have bought toys with. I was even given a six foot teddy which is huge and will definitely put a smile on someone’s face.
"I can collect the items and the hospitals will wrap them so all the people have to do is provide me with whatever they want to give."
Kyra, who is a pupil at Woodville School, is now on the mend but has learning difficulties and will need a heart transplant in the future.
Sarah said: "Nobody knows when she will need the transplant, it could be tomorrow, it could be when she is 18. We just take each day as it comes. "But we are very lucky in many other ways and that is why we want to do our bit to help while we can."
Sarah, who will collect the items if needed, plans to visit Birmingham Children’s Hospital on December 16 to deliver the Christmas gifts.
To find out more or to donate, contact Sarah at Sarahharrison1982sh@gmail.com
