Alder Hey

Alder Hey Welcome to the Alder Hey Children's NHS Foundation Trust & Charity page.

Alder Hey in the Park cares for over 450,0000 young patients and their families each year. We lead research into children’s medicines, infection, inflammation and oncology.

27/03/2026

| Watch the lovely moment when 5-year-old Oliver walks outside for the first time in weeks after having his fifth open-heart surgery!

Oliver has been treated at Alder Hey since he was born and has been receiving treatment for a congenital defect on the left side of his heart. He also lives with cerebral palsy, which relates to a group of lifelong conditions that affect movement and co-ordination.

Oliver was recovering in our cardiac ward after having his fifth open-heart surgery and hadn’t been outside in weeks.

He saw another little girl playing outside the hospital in the sunshine earlier this month and told his mum he wanted to go outside.

Oliver’s mum Amelia, said: “Alder Hey is such a friendly place, Oliver enjoys seeing all his friends, the nurses and waves morning and goodnight to everyone as they pass his room. The care is exceptional and makes parents feel at ease.”

Oliver was also recently named as the honorary 35th runner in the upcoming 2026 Randox Grand National. An honorary runner has taken a place in the iconic contest since 2017, with their name appearing in the racecard alongside the horses lining up in the race. The initiative highlights the work of Alder Hey and the longstanding partnership with Alder Hey Children’s Charity and Aintree Racecourse, stretching back 25 years.

🗣️ For Epilepsy Awareness Day (Purple Day), Marie shares the journey of her daughter Amelia, who lives with complex epil...
26/03/2026

🗣️ For Epilepsy Awareness Day (Purple Day), Marie shares the journey of her daughter Amelia, who lives with complex epilepsy caused by a rare genetic condition.

"When Amelia was four years old, seizures suddenly became part of our everyday life. Amelia is now 10 years old. After her first non-febrile seizures she was quickly diagnosed with a generalised seizure disorder, and further genetic testing later confirmed KCNB1-related developmental epileptic encephalopathy, a rare genetic condition that affects brain development and causes complex epilepsy.

Over the years, Amelia has experienced multiple seizure types including tonic, tonic-clonic, focal, absence and myoclonic seizures. Finding the right treatment has been a long journey. She has tried many anti-epileptic medications, but both the seizures and the medications themselves have had a significant impact. During this time, Amelia experienced considerable regression and lost skills such as clapping, waving and using cutlery.

When medications alone were not enough, Amelia started the ketogenic diet, which helped reduce her seizure burden. We did not get the dream outcome of seizure freedom, but it did make a meaningful difference. Later, Amelia had a Vagus Nerve Stimulator (VNS) implanted. This again reduced the number of seizures she was experiencing, but did not stop them completely.

After two years, Amelia came off the ketogenic diet. It had helped to a point and we were able to maintain some of the benefits it had brought. As Amelia entered puberty, we began to see a clear pattern emerging, with periods of increased seizures followed by weeks with none. Puberty blockers were introduced in an attempt to help stabilise this cycle, although seizures still break through.

Currently Amelia takes four anti-epileptic medications, which bring their own challenges including fatigue, unsteadiness on her feet, excessive sleep and cognitive side effects. Our teams at Alder Hey Children’s Hospital and Whiston Hospital continue to work closely together to try to find the right balance between seizure control and Amelia’s quality of life.

Epilepsy impacts every minute of every day for our family. Amelia needs an adult with her at all times, including through the night, as we must be ready to use her VNS magnet during seizures, and she remains at high risk of SUDEP.

Despite everything epilepsy has thrown at Amelia, she continues to fight in her own quiet way.
We still face many uncertain moments and an unknown future. Drug-resistant epilepsy is complex and, for many families, it is a lifelong battle.

During the weeks when her seizures settle, she is full of life and determination. And after six years, she is now learning to use cutlery again — slowly reclaiming a skill epilepsy once took away. She is also beginning to find her voice again, discovering new ways to express herself and connect with the world around her. After everything epilepsy has taken from Amelia, these moments matter more than words can describe.

Progress with complex epilepsy is often slow, fragile and hard-won. It can take years of therapies, support and relentless work to gain skills — yet those same skills can sometimes be lost overnight.
That is the reality many families live with. Epilepsy remains a constant presence in Amelia’s life, and in ours, requiring vigilance, care and support every single day.

For Epilepsy Awareness Week, we are sharing Amelia’s story to help people better understand the realities of complex epilepsy and the importance of specialist care, continued research and greater awareness. Because behind every diagnosis like ours is a child like Amelia, working hard every day to have a better quality of life." 💜

20/03/2026

ICYMI - Alder Hey’s very own Julia Roberts was paid a visit at work by Everton Football Club captain Seamus Coleman recently and you can watch the special moment below ⬇️

Julia, a clinical manager on our Integrated Community Nursing team, was nominated by her daughter, Beth, for a once-in-a-lifetime experience after overcoming a series of personal challenges in recent years. In 2023, Julia faced a life-threatening medical emergency when her bowel suddenly failed, requiring major surgery that ultimately saved her life. She came through the ordeal with extraordinary strength and resilience, returning to Alder Hey in 2024 💪

After keeping Julia occupied for 50 minutes in a pretend meeting, Everton and Hill Dickinson surprised her at work with Everton captain Seamus Coleman, who presented her with flowers, tickets to Everton vs Burnley, and a behind-the-scenes trip to Everton’s training ground, Finch Farm 🔵

Julia said: “I have never felt more special than this. Can't thank Beth and Everton enough for such an amazing experience. And also, my ICCNT team and Communications for making this happen.” 💙

Julia enjoyed a VIP experience at the Hil Dickinson stadium alongside her husband Gary, daughter Beth and son Tom – Everton also won 2-0! ⚽

Well done Julia, very well deserved! 👏

To prepare for the launch of Alder Connect – our new patient portal, many families will receive a text message this week...
16/03/2026

To prepare for the launch of Alder Connect – our new patient portal, many families will receive a text message this week inviting them to pre-register.

Alder Connect will provide a single, secure digital front door for families to manage and engage with aspects of their child’s care, gradually replacing traditional patient letters.

Alder Connect has been designed specifically for children and young people and will allow those with parental responsibility to access key information in one place, rather than across multiple systems currently used by Alder Hey.

It will officially go live next month, so no information will be available to view just yet. However, we encourage families to pre-register now when contacted, so their accounts are ready when the service launches.

Once live and over time, families will be able to view appointment letters, access test results, and see important health information, such as allergy records.

Please keep an eye out for the text message and follow the instructions to pre-register.

Happy Mother’s Day! 💖 Today, we celebrate all those remarkable mums out there. We hope you have an amazing day 💐💙
15/03/2026

Happy Mother’s Day! 💖

Today, we celebrate all those remarkable mums out there. We hope you have an amazing day 💐💙

For three-quarters of a century, amazing cardiac teams in Liverpool have cared for children with heart conditions, perfo...
13/03/2026

For three-quarters of a century, amazing cardiac teams in Liverpool have cared for children with heart conditions, performed lifesaving surgery, and supported families every step of the way 💕

Behind every operation is a dedicated team of surgeons, anaesthetists, cardiologists, intensivists, nurses, theatre staff, perfusionists, physiotherapists, pathway coordinators, admin teams and so many more.

Generations of these professionals have helped build the world-class service we have today at Alder Hey, where we perform, on average, over 400 cardiac operations each year, mending broken hearts.

Mr Ram Dhannapuneni, Head of Cardiac Surgery at Alder Hey, says: “The skill, dedication and compassion of the teams I work with every day is truly remarkable. It’s a privilege to care for our children and families, they never give up hope, and neither do we.”

A huge thank you to everyone, past and present, who has played a part in caring for children with heart conditions in Liverpool and beyond 💙

Were you, a family member, or a friend cared for by our cardiac team? Or have you been part of the team over the years? We’d love to hear your stories in the comments! 👇

Meet three families and heart heroes 🫶 whose lives have been changed by heart surgery in Liverpool ❤️42 year old Colin a...
13/03/2026

Meet three families and heart heroes 🫶 whose lives have been changed by heart surgery in Liverpool ❤️

42 year old Colin and seven year old daughter Edith’s hearts were touched by the same surgeon, Mr Ram Dhannapuneni. Colin said “I was born with a chronic heart disease known as Shone's Syndrome and had surgery as a baby in Myrtle Street in 1983 and incredibly I didn’t need any further interventions for 36 years. In 2018, our daughter Edith was born with very severe Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome. A few days old, she had her first operation and at just a few months old she had her next led by Ram and featured on BBC Hospital. She has had several interventions since and is my inspiration. She continues to receive excellent care from the wonderful Dr Caroline Jones and colleagues in Cardiology, Ward 1C, and when needed, ICU and HDU. In 2020, I needed another operation, after my heart began to struggle and this was also performed by Ram but at Liverpool Heart and Chest Hospital- I was very excited when I found out it! As for Ram, I feel privileged that I can shake hands with a surgeon who has quite literally touched both mine and my daughter's hearts. As a family, we couldn't be more thankful for everything that the city's history of cardiac treatment has given us, from Myrtle Street in the early 1980s to Alder Hey and LHCH today.” ❤️

19-year-old Theo from Northwich, has Down's Syndrome and was diagnosed with a heart condition called Atrioventricular Septal Defect when born. Despite several heart repairs, his first in Alder Hey in 2007 and his most recent in LHCH in 2025, he never lets it stop him from doing anything. Mum Helen said: “We’re so proud of Theo, he is inspiring, and so stoical and accepting of his condition. He recently won a Community Award for volunteering and is about to go on his Silver Duke of Edinburgh. He is an incredible dancer and has performed at festivals and hopes to go to college to study performing arts 🎭 He has a Saturday job and loves spending time with his family and girlfriend. I feel grateful every day that Theo’s heart has been fixed so many times. It is humbling to think that many years ago, people with Down's Syndrome weren’t offered this kind of life-saving operation so we are very lucky to have lived in this time where his life is considered valuable and Theo truly is of value to his community as a result.” 💙

Millie from Southport is six months old and was diagnosed with (TGA) Transposition of the great arteries, a large hole in between the ventricles (VSD) and mesocardia whilst still in her mummy’s tummy. At 2 weeks old Millie had her first open heart surgery at Alder Hey and has since had three more. Her last surgery was seriously high-risk due to the unusual positioning of Millie’s heart. Mum Ella said: “To all our amazement, the cardiac surgical team managed to mend Millie’s broken heart and she is getting stronger every day 💪 We are beyond grateful and thankful to the Alder Hey team and feel completely blessed to have met such wonderful people. It has been an overwhelmingly difficult journey at times, as we also had three other children to care for at home. There were some dark times, made brighter by some lovely people. A thank you will never be enough to the people who gave our baby a future.” 👶

This year, Alder Hey is celebrating 75 years of children’s heart surgery in Liverpool 💙 From the very first recorded ope...
13/03/2026

This year, Alder Hey is celebrating 75 years of children’s heart surgery in Liverpool 💙

From the very first recorded operations in 1950 to becoming one of the UK’s largest paediatric cardiac centres today, Liverpool has played a vital role in advancing care for children with heart conditions.

Over the decades, children’s heart surgery has changed so much. Thanks to years of innovation, research, and the dedication of some truly incredible staff, past and present, treatment continues to advance and more children with heart conditions are living full and active lives than ever before.

Recently, we held a celebration event with staff, patients and families - past and present, to look back at how far we’ve come and to celebrate the people at the heart of this 75-year journey.

A few key moments along the way:

❤️ 1950 - One of the first centres in Europe to provide children’s heart surgery opened on Myrtle Street, attracting surgeons from around the world to learn these pioneering techniques.

❤️ 1990 - The cardiac centre moved from Myrtle Street to the old hospital at Alder Hey.

❤️ 2012 - Alder Hey became the designated heart surgery centre for Northwest England, North Wales and the Isle of Man.

❤️ 2015 - The cardiac centre moved into Alder Hey’s brand new hospital.

❤️ 2018 - Liverpool Heart and Chest Hospital NHS Foundation Trust became the regional Adult Congenital Cardiac Service for the Northwest of England.

❤️ Today - Alder Hey is one of the largest paediatric cardiac centres in the UK.

We’re excited about what the next 75 years could bring! Here are some photos from earlier years and Myrtle Street 📸

📰🥇|UK’s first mobile children’s cancer care unit launches in the North West.A pioneering new service bringing children’s...
10/03/2026

📰🥇|UK’s first mobile children’s cancer care unit launches in the North West.

A pioneering new service bringing children’s cancer treatment closer to home has launched in the North West – the first of its kind in the UK.

Partners including Alder Hey have teamed up to create a specially designed mobile cancer care unit which will deliver chemotherapy and other treatments to children and young people in communities across the region. The service aims to reduce long journeys to hospital and minimise time away from home, school and everyday life.

Around 600 children receive cancer treatment in the North West each year, with many families travelling more than 50 miles for care. This new Care Closer to Home service aims to ease that burden by safely delivering some treatments in local community locations.

The service is a partnership between the North West Children’s Cancer Operational Delivery Network (NWCCODN), Hope for Tomorrow, Alder Hey, Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital and the region’s Cancer Alliances.

For families like 11-year-old Ollie (pictured) and his dad Stephen, the service could make a huge difference. Ollie, who is receiving treatment for leukaemia, currently travels regularly to Alder Hey from Appleton for care. His father described the new mobile unit as “an absolute game changer” for families facing the challenges of childhood cancer treatment.

He said: "Just from a learning perspective and normality for Ollie, it's going to be a game changer. And any kids in the future... they're not going to have that inconvenience.

"It's an absolute game changer.

"And I think from Ollie's point of view, just that extra couple of hours at home – it's where he wants to be."

Nurses from Alder Hey and Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital will staff the unit, bringing their specialist paediatric oncology expertise into community settings.

The unit will begin delivering treatment in Cheshire, Merseyside and North Wales this March, before expanding to Manchester, Lancashire and Cumbria from April.

Alder Hey Children's Charity has also funded nearly £4,000 of equipment to enhance the experience of children and young people using the unit, including toys, a TV, fridges, and iPads.

🗣️ "Today, on , we’re sharing our son Toby’s story to help raise awareness of rare diseases.Toby, nine, has a condition...
28/02/2026

🗣️ "Today, on , we’re sharing our son Toby’s story to help raise awareness of rare diseases.

Toby, nine, has a condition called Addison’s disease, which affects up to just 10,000 people in the UK. For a long time, Toby had really varied unexplained symptoms-craving salty foods, struggling in cold weather, low energy, and difficulty keeping up at school. We made repeated visits to our GP in Warrington and underwent various tests, but everything came back normal. Still, we knew something wasn’t right. After returning from holiday, he caught a sickness bug he just couldn’t shake and said his body felt “like jelly.” He was admitted to our local A&E and later transferred to HDU at Alder Hey with dangerously low sodium levels, which can be life-threatening. It was terrifying as we waited for his sodium levels to be brought back up to a safe level. He was diagnosed with Addison’s disease, a rare lifelong condition where the adrenal glands don’t produce enough hormones to regulate energy, blood pressure and the body’s response to stress, requiring daily hormone replacement to prevent adrenal crisis.

As parents, we were shocked and overwhelmed. It took time to adjust to daily medication and the constant awareness of emergencies and we’re still learning. However, it has also been a relief to have an explanation and treatment for all his symptoms. The wise advice we received from the team at Alder Hey was a great comfort and their words have stayed with us. It’s reassuring to know expert help is close by whenever we need it.

Since starting treatment, Toby is a different child. His energy is back, he’s enjoying school again, and we’ve got our happy, cheeky boy back. He used to struggle to get to the finish line at Sports Day, but now says, “I love sport and want to be a basketball player when I’m older.”

We hope that by talking about the unusual signs - ongoing fatigue, dizziness, tummy pain, salt cravings, unexplained weight loss - more professionals, including teachers, school staff and healthcare providers, will recognise the symptoms sooner. It may help another person find the correct diagnosis and, ultimately, save someone’s life.” 🩵

| 12-year-old Evie-Rose was diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukaemia (AML) last July, a rare type of cancer, with around...
20/02/2026

| 12-year-old Evie-Rose was diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukaemia (AML) last July, a rare type of cancer, with around 3,100 people diagnosed with it each year in the UK.

This week, she was given the all-clear and rang the end-of-treatment bell with her family and the wonderful 3B staff in attendance 🎉

Paul, Evie-Rose’s dad, said: “The staff at Alder Hey have supported both Evie-Rose and our whole family in ways we will never be able to put into words fully. From the very beginning, when everything felt frightening and unknown, they treated not just her illness but cared for her as a person, always showing kindness, patience, and reassurance during the hardest moments of treatment. We will always be grateful for the role each of them played in helping Evie-Rose through treatment. They didn’t just care for her medically; they carried us emotionally through some of the most difficult moments of our lives.” 💙

Alder Hey is proud to announce a new partnership with Make-A-Wish UK, helping to bring life-changing wishes to children ...
19/02/2026

Alder Hey is proud to announce a new partnership with Make-A-Wish UK, helping to bring life-changing wishes to children and young people in our care.

We are now an official Community Referral Partner with Make-A-Wish UK, meaning we can now nominate children and young people for a wish.

This partnership, supported by Alder Hey Children’s Charity, gives a wonderful opportunity to help children with critical illnesses experience a wish that brings joy, hope, and lasting, positive memories for them and their families.

Make-A-Wish UK exists to grant life-changing wishes to critically ill children and their families when they need it the most. Whether it’s going on a family day out, getting a gaming console, or having a bedroom makeover, these experiences provide respite from treatment, allowing families to create treasured memories together, no matter what the future holds.

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Liverpool
L122AP

Telephone

+441512284811

Website

http://www.alderheycharity.org/

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Our Story

Since the NHS was established, Alder Hey has seen many changes, but has remained at the forefront of children’s healthcare.

Alder Hey was originally a workhouse, providing care for the sick. A hospital was built and opened its doors in October 1914, with 350 children taking occupancy of twelve wards. Alder Hey was also used as a military hospital during the Great War and Second World War.

During our history, we have become known for a number of famous firsts. Penicillin was tested on a child for the first time at Alder Hey and we were the first to establish a neonatal surgical unit in the UK. Other firsts include curing the most commonly encountered congenital heart defect and pioneering various splints and orthopaedic appliances.

In 2015, we opened a state-of-the-art hospital alongside a brand new research, innovation and education centre. Alder Hey in the Park and the Institute in the Park now cares for over 330,000 children, young people and their families every year and brings together excellent care, technology and design to provide the best possible healing environment for children and their families.