Bristol Royal Hospital for Children

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Eid Mubarak to our Muslim patients, staff and families! šŸŒ™šŸ’›Eid Al-Fitr marks the end of Ramadan which is the month of fas...
30/03/2025

Eid Mubarak to our Muslim patients, staff and families! šŸŒ™šŸ’›

Eid Al-Fitr marks the end of Ramadan which is the month of fasting. We hope whatever you get up to is filled with love and happiness! 🄰

Happy Mother’s Day! šŸ’ā¤ļøWe want to take this opportunity to highlight all the magnificent Mum's we interact with every da...
30/03/2025

Happy Mother’s Day! šŸ’ā¤ļø

We want to take this opportunity to highlight all the magnificent Mum's we interact with every day! To make the Mum’s on our wards smile, we handed out some posies as a token and reminder of their bravery, kindness and care for their children. 🄰

A HUGE thank you to our wonderful supporters The Guild of Friends of the Bristol Royal Hospital for Children (pictured are Cheryl and Rebecca from the charity!) who have once again created hand-made posies for patients to give to their mums on Mothering Sunday. This is a lovely gesture that we hope will make sure that no-one misses out. 🌷

The Guild of Friends have supported the Bristol Royal Hospital for Children for many years and these posies are just one of the ways that they show their support. The charity also fundraises for much-needed equipment, arts and crafts kits and entertainment for our patients.

One final Happy Mother’s Day from us - we hope you know how special you are to us all! ā­ļø

'I don’t know that he’ll ever realise just how grateful we will always be.'March is Brain Tumour Awareness Month, and we...
28/03/2025

'I don’t know that he’ll ever realise just how grateful we will always be.'

March is Brain Tumour Awareness Month, and we reached out to Lauren (Artie’s Mum) who shared their journey with us šŸ‘‡

ā€˜In the months leading up to February 2022, Artie was suffering more and more frequently with dizzy spells, lethargy, headaches and vomiting shortly after waking.

After numerous GP visits and 111 calls, I took him to our local A&E after a particularly worrying dizzy spell at the park. There were no immediate concerns, but I knew something was wrong. He was booked in 2 days later for an eye check, where it was discovered that he had swollen optic nerves. 2 days after that, he was booked for MRI which showed that he had a large tumour in his cerebellum and severe hydrocephalus. This day is a little hazy. Our entire world felt like it was crumbling. We were then blue lighted to the Bristol Royal Hospital for Children (BRHC).

One of the first faces I remember visiting us in triage was Mr Carter - Artie was due to have surgery the following morning, but Mr Carter decided to go for it that night to tackle the hydrocephalus that was putting Artie in imminent danger. Mr Carter was a source of great comfort and confidence. Two days later, Artie had his ā€œbigā€ op to remove the tumour. We had no idea of what the possible outcome would be and spent the next 14 hours in a heartbreaking limbo. We handed Artie over to Mr Carter and he assured us that he would do his very best for our boy. And that he did.

He managed to remove the entire tumour with minimal damage. I don’t know that he’ll ever realise just how grateful we will always be.

Artie suffered from Posterior Fossa Syndrome following surgery. He had to very slowly learn to swallow, eat, talk, sit and move all over again. It was an awful time, but we were carried by the Neuro Rehab team, Rachel Perrow (who still helps us now - 3 years on), the wonderful nurses on Daisy and Bluebell Ward (which was our home for 12 weeks). They taught us many new skills for caring for Artie. During our time on Bluebell, Artie underwent 6 weeks of radiotherapy. We wouldn’t have got through this or had as much courage, if it weren’t for the amazing nurses - they are all angels. Artie was always excited to see the Speech and Language team and the Music lady who bought many laughs. The energy they brought was very much needed and appreciated.

Artie visited Starlight and Apollo ward for the next year for chemo. There’s never been a time at BRHC that I’ve felt inferior or doubted, the staff really carefully listen to the parents worries. Working on these wards with such poorly children and supporting families in such dark times must take its toll but you’d never know, the nurses showed us such professionalism and warmth. We felt so safe there. We continue to visit BRHC regularly for check-ups and MRI’s and it feels like coming back to our home from home. We love bumping into staff and showing off to them how far Artie has come and it’s all thanks to them!’

27/03/2025

So exciting to see the Patient Hotel project moving forward! The facility, funded by Wallace & Gromit's Grand Appeal and Jingle Jam, will provide families with a home-away-from-home as their children continue their recovery, offering comfort and stability during what can be a challenging time.

Find out more about the project below šŸ‘‡

ā€˜He even woke up from surgery saying, "Has my hot spot really gone? Well, that was easy!"’For our second World Epilepsy ...
26/03/2025

ā€˜He even woke up from surgery saying, "Has my hot spot really gone? Well, that was easy!"’

For our second World Epilepsy Day post, we have Albie’s story for you all to read! Thank you to Helen, Mark, Archie and Albie for sharing your journey. šŸ’œšŸ‘‡

ā€˜Heartfelt gratitude for your incredible support - we cannot thank you enough. You are all amazing, and we are eternally grateful.

In February 2021, at the age of 4, Albie experienced a sudden, explosive onset of hypermotor seizures and was quickly diagnosed with epilepsy. Albie’s seizures would occur without any trigger or warning and at their worst, he was suffering from 100 seizures in a 24-hour period. Although a combination of medications helped reduce the number and severity of his seizures, they did not completely control his epilepsy and came with many unpleasant side effects.

Albie was referred to the Children’s Epilepsy Surgery Service (CESS) team at the Bristol Royal Hospital for Children to be placed on the surgical pathway. From the very beginning, we were supported every step of the way by the hospital team.

In November 2023, Albie underwent focal resection brain surgery, performed by the wonderful Mr. Mike Carter and Mr. Will Singleton. Everyone we met during this journey was nothing short of incredible. They made Albie feel welcome and comfortable, and they provided us as parents, with all the information and reassurance we needed - including update phone calls during the surgery.

A big shout-out to all the staff on Daisy Ward and Bluebell Ward, and to Amelia, Albie’s anaesthetist, and her team. The work you all do is truly amazing.

Albie’s recovery was nothing short of remarkable, and he even woke up from surgery saying, "Has my hot spot really gone? Well, that was easy!"

Twelve months later, we were given the all-clear to start weaning Albie off his medication. He took his last tablet in August 2024!

He is now completely seizure-free, and it’s incredible to see him skipping happily off to school, riding his bike, going swimming, attending football training and playing with his friends.

We are so incredibly grateful for the fabulous work you all do. We will always hold fond memories of you all. Though the process was daunting, it truly felt like we were all in it together, with everyone caring just as much as we did.

With heartfelt thanks,

Helen, Mark, Archie and Albie Isaacson!’

It’s World Epilepsy Day! Our wonderful team of epilepsy Nurses want to tell you all about their work and where you can g...
26/03/2025

It’s World Epilepsy Day! Our wonderful team of epilepsy Nurses want to tell you all about their work and where you can go to for more support and information! šŸ’œ

ā€˜Hi everyone!

We are a team of 5 epilepsy Nurses who are passionate in ensuring high quality care for all our patients and families. Our service runs from 9am-5pm Monday to Friday, and we care for all children and young people aged 0-18 years old with a diagnosis of epilepsy in Bristol, South Gloucestershire and North Somerset.

šŸ‘‡Here’s a list of some of the things that we do in our roles!:

- We have a nurse advice line, provide epilepsy nurse clinics and visit patients on the ward. These can be newly diagnosed patients as well as existing ones!
- We provide education sessions to other staff members in the hospital as well as schools, nurseries and other care facilities if needed.
- We also have a brilliant transition service! This service provides a programme for those young people who are preparing for their journey to adult services - with a clinic with an adult epilepsy nurse and a paediatric epilepsy nurse.

šŸ‘‡Here are some interesting facts about epilepsy that we’d love to share with you:

- Lavender is the international flower of epilepsy.
- Dogs can be trained to detect and predict epileptic seizures.
- Approximately 630,000 people are living with epilepsy in the UK, around one in every 100 people.

Finally, we thought it would be a good idea to share some websites that include some very useful information and support!

https://www.epilepsy.org.uk/
https://www.youngepilepsy.org.uk/
https://www.thedaisygarland.org.uk/ '

Thanks so much team! It was lovely to hear from you 🄰.

We also want to say a big thank you to our dedicated charity, Wallace & Gromit's Grand Appeal, for lighting up the Lollipop Be-Bop sculpture a fabulous purple colour, in recognition and support of World Epilepsy Day! šŸ’œ

We are saying a heartfelt goodbye to Carol, who has worked in Facilities at the Bristol Royal Hospital for Children for ...
24/03/2025

We are saying a heartfelt goodbye to Carol, who has worked in Facilities at the Bristol Royal Hospital for Children for 17 years. As the Catering Supervisor, Carol has seen many changes within the department during this time - including helping with the implementation of our new ordering system! 🄰

Carol has cooked the Christmas bacon sandwiches every year and has served many patients' and parents' Christmas lunches. She has also played a major role in supplying complex diets to meet our patients' needs. She is a valued member of the team, and we will all miss her.

Carol shares, "It has been a pleasure working at the hospital and with all of my colleagues!"

Thank you, Carol! ā¤ļø

It’s the first day of Spring today! We’re onto brighter days and clearer skies! ā˜€ļøšŸŒ·We wanted to enjoy some of the sunshi...
20/03/2025

It’s the first day of Spring today! We’re onto brighter days and clearer skies! ā˜€ļøšŸŒ·

We wanted to enjoy some of the sunshine this morning so took a tour around to some of the outside spaces here in the hospital. We first went to our Activity Centre – the garden space is looking cheery! More sports and water activities to come! šŸ€

We also popped into the garden space outside the Hospital School. We have some plants blooming and some greenery growing for our families and staff to enjoy. 🌳

Finally, is our Oasis Garden – a space for staff, patients and families to relax in and get some fresh air. We’re sure you will all enjoy it more now with some lovely and warm sun! 🄰

It’s World Kidney Day! Our Lighthouse Ward team love to recognise this day, and the hospital certainly has been busy! šŸ’›T...
13/03/2025

It’s World Kidney Day! Our Lighthouse Ward team love to recognise this day, and the hospital certainly has been busy! šŸ’›

The morning bake sale went down a storm - we hope your day was ā€˜batter’ with a sweet treat to start it off! The team sold cakes, fudge, cookies and more – all to raise money for our dedicated charity, Wallace & Gromit's Grand Appeal. The Lighthouse team are fundraising for the Ward and the Dialysis Unit which we think is just brilliant! šŸ°

The team also got crafty with ward decorations and colouring sheets for their annual colouring competition! We loved seeing this wonderful mini-Lego hospital art project made by one of Lighthouse’s patients – it’ll look great in the growing Lego collection in the Haematology department! šŸŽØ

And finally, the team looked fabulous in their yellow dress up attire! Lilly, a patient on Lighthouse, also wanted to get involved in the team picture. We loved seeing you all together, amazing job! 🄰

A big thank you to our hospital charity, The Grand Appeal, who are lighting up the Lollipop Be-Bop sculpture a glowing yellow colour this evening, in recognition and support of World Kidney Day. šŸ’”

World Kidney Day is a great opportunity to raise the importance of kidney health, and we are always so happy to see how much our Lighthouse Ward get involved in doing so. šŸ’›

It’s   and we are so thrilled to be sharing Olive’s journey with you all - thank you to mum Jenna and her family for tel...
13/03/2025

It’s and we are so thrilled to be sharing Olive’s journey with you all - thank you to mum Jenna and her family for telling us all about Olive! ā¤šŸ‘‡

ā€˜Our 4-year-old daughter Olive was born in July of 2020 at St Michael’s Hospital, following a complex pregnancy. At our 20-week-scan, we were informed that our daughter’s brain was abnormal and were referred to the neo-natal specialists at St Michael’s.

Following a further MRI scan, it became clear that our daughter had a condition called an Occipital Encephalocele and would likely require surgery soon after her birth.

We met with a room full of neurosurgeons, and it was then that we met our wonderful neurosurgical specialist nurse, Molly. Molly, along with the other wonderful neurosurgeons, took time to explain everything to us. Drawing pictures on napkins and showing us around the neo-natal intensive care unit where our daughter would be cared for.

As a complication of her original condition, Olive developed hydrocephalus and slit ventricle syndrome. This has required multiple hospital stays in Bluebell Ward and Daisy Ward, for both emergencies and planned surgeries and procedures to best manage her condition – we’re almost at double figures now, with her last surgery being October last year.

Fast forward to 2025 and our daughter is a very happy little girl – thriving and full of character. She attends mainstream school and takes every new challenge in her stride!

We feel so indebted to the multiple neurosurgeons who have operated on Olive and problem-solved when she has been tricky to manage - Mr Singleton and Mr Carter to name just a few. Molly and Vicki, the neurosurgical specialist nurses, have been angels! Bringing multiple stickers and stamps and overall being safe familiar faces for both Olive and us.

We will continue to fundraise for the Bristol Royal Hospital for Children due to the wonderful care our daughter has and continues to receive!

In March, Olives Daddy, Granddad and Aunt will be taking part in a sky dive to raise funds for The Grand Appeal, who offer the most wonderful support to children and families at the hospital.’

Today, as part of  , we are recognising the young carers in the UK who give so much of their own time and energy to care...
12/03/2025

Today, as part of , we are recognising the young carers in the UK who give so much of their own time and energy to care for family members who need support. ā¤

Young carers are those under the age of 18 who care for a relative with disabilities, illnesses or conditions. Caring can cause disadvantages in areas like mental and physical health, education and employment – so it’s vital that carers know to how to take breaks as without them, caring can become overwhelming.

This year’s theme is ā€˜Give Me A Break’ and it’s important for young people to know where to go for extra support and for the right spaces to take healthy amounts of time out.

To help with this, we are sharing the following link to see what services are available in your region - from support centres to advice offices. šŸ‘‡

https://carers.org/?gad_source=1&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI2Y2cg8uEjAMVoZZQBh3XnwONEAAYASAAEgL8RPD_BwE

It’s  ! 😓This week, The Lullaby Trust, is dedicating time to raising awareness and providing safer baby sleeping advice ...
10/03/2025

It’s ! 😓

This week, The Lullaby Trust, is dedicating time to raising awareness and providing safer baby sleeping advice to parents and carers.

Around 700,000 babies are born every year in the UK and The Lullaby Trust, want to reach all new parents and carers in particular. The images below hold some valuable information that can help your baby have a safer sleep - including sleep patterns and how to keep your baby’s airway’s clear.

For more insightful and useful information, please follow the link below: šŸ‘‡
https://www.lullabytrust.org.uk/about-us/our-campaigns/safer-sleep-week/

There’s no ā€˜write’ or wrong way to celebrate World Book Day … but here at the hospital, our Play Team have been trickier...
06/03/2025

There’s no ā€˜write’ or wrong way to celebrate World Book Day … but here at the hospital, our Play Team have been trickier to spot than usual! šŸ“ššŸ”

We first caught up with the team in our Activity Centre – don’t they look fantastic in their ā€˜Where’s Wally?’ outfits! How many of them can you spot around the play equipment šŸ‘€ Thanks to our dedicated charity, Wallace & Gromit's Grand Appeal, for providing the team with some cool costumes!

The team were also on wards doing some amazing art activities with our patients and families! They seemed to have gone down a storm, we are so happy to hear our patients loved them. šŸŽØ

And that’s not all… there was even a ā€˜Where’s Wally’ hospital trail! One of these pictures has a sneaky ā€˜Where’s Wally’ sticker attached to a wall... can you find it? Let us know in the comments if you spot it. šŸ‘€

Thanks to our hardworking Play Team for bringing some fun to the hospital for World Book Day 2025 🄰

05/03/2025

šŸ›‘ Overnight road closures – Bristol

Tonight (Wednesday 5 March), road closures will be in place from 9pm until 5am the following morning (Thursday 6 March), around our Bristol city centre sites.

During these hours, there will be no vehicle access to the front of Bristol Royal Infirmary or Bristol Royal Hospital for Children on Upper Mauldin Street. Instead, vehicles can enter the hospital sites via Horfield Road and into Terrell Street (see map below) where there will be a drop-off area. Diversions routes will be signposted, and traffic marshals will also be on the hospital site to support.

You will still be able to access our hospitals and the emergency departments. Please allow extra time if travelling to our city centre hospitals during these hours.

The road closures are due to ongoing work being carried out by Bristol City Council

Bristol, North Somerset & South Gloucestershire ICB

04/03/2025

UPDATE 4/3/2025

Tonight (Tuesday 4 March) between 9pm and 5am, Bristol City Council will be closing Upper Maudlin Street (westbound) in the direction of the Bristol Royal Infirmary (BRI).

You will still be able to access our hospitals and the emergency departments, diversion routes will be signposted. Please allow extra time if travelling to our city centre hospitals during these hours.

***

Overnight road closures – Bristol

Tonight, Monday 3 March, there will be an overnight road closure of Marlborough Street. The closure will be only the lane travelling in the direction of the Bristol Royal Infirmary from St. James Barton roundabout (the Bearpit). The closure will be in place from 9pm to 5am.

Diversion routes will be signposted, and you will still be able to access our hospitals and the emergency departments. Please allow extra time if travelling to our city centre hospitals during these hours.

BBristol, North Somerset & South Gloucestershire ICBBBristol City Council

Saturday was National Glanzmann’s Thrombasthenia Awareness Day! Thank you so much to superstar Oliver for sharing just p...
03/03/2025

Saturday was National Glanzmann’s Thrombasthenia Awareness Day! Thank you so much to superstar Oliver for sharing just part of his brave story with us. šŸ‘‡

ā€˜My name is Oliver, and I am 14 years old. When I was born, I was a bit different from the other babies, when I kicked my legs, I bruised and even turning over in my cot would end up in me bruising my body. When I was three months old, I had a massive nosebleed which wouldn’t stop, so my mum and dad had to take me to the hospital. By the time I got there I had bled through two towels. I also had a rash all over my body. The doctors thought I might have meningitis, but we found out that the rash was called Petechia. After a week in hospital, I was sent to the Bristol Royal Hospital for Children’s Hospital (BRHC) so they could tell me what was wrong with me. Mum and Dad were told I had GT (Glanzmann Thrombasthenia).

GT is a very rare bleeding disorder, and we were told I was the only child in the South West to have it! I am the only child treated for it at BRHC. GT is a platelet disorder; I have platelets, but they don’t work properly like everyone else’s, so I bleed a lot and I bruise very easily.

Over the years I have spent a lot of time in hospital because of my bleeding disorder. I have been taken to hospital many times in an ambulance and I have been in intensive care. Whenever I have bad bleeds, I am treated by either blood transfusions or platelet transfusions as the medicine Novo7 never stopped my bleeds. I have had my nose cauterised many times over the years which helps initially, but then I go back to having heavy nosebleeds again. Two years ago I had a very bad nosebleed and I had to be taken to hospital in the Air Ambulance. I was very ill, and I spent nearly three weeks in hospital. When I was in hospital, I was told that I could have a portacath fitted and have weekly platelet transfusions to stop me bleeding regularly and that hopefully I would have a better quality of life. A portacath is a device fitted under the skin used to draw blood and give treatments such as blood transfusions and antibiotics. I decided to have it done so now every Thursday I go into hospital to have a transfusion. I have to have washed HLA platelets because I had a couple of allergic reactions to the HLA matched platelets I was having before.

Having GT hasn’t stopped me from doing things, growing up my mum and dad let me do everything that my friends were doing, but I didn’t always have the energy to do it. I play for my town football team and the school football team. I love scootering and riding my bike, I just do it with a few more bruises and bumps than my friends…but I don’t let that stop me.’

Thank you Oliver for sharing your story with us! 🄰 For more information, please follow the links below.

https://platelets.blood.co.uk/
https://www.blood.co.uk/

Ramadan Mubarak to all of our Muslim families, patients and colleagues who are entering the start of the fasting period!...
28/02/2025

Ramadan Mubarak to all of our Muslim families, patients and colleagues who are entering the start of the fasting period! šŸŒ™

Ramadan is the 9th month of the Islamic Calendar and the exact dates of Ramadan change every year based on the cycles of the Moon. The month is usually a time where Muslims connect deeply with their faith, practice good deeds and eat lots of yummy treats!

We wish you a happy, peaceful and meaningful month. šŸ’›

Know someone moving up to adult congenital heart disease services? šŸ’—Transition is the process that prepares young people...
20/02/2025

Know someone moving up to adult congenital heart disease services? šŸ’—

Transition is the process that prepares young people to transfer from paediatric to adult care - allowing them to take more ownership for their health condition.

The Bristol Heart Institute (BHI) team is holding an event for those over the age of 15 with congenital heart disease and their families, to allow them to meet the team and familiarise themselves with the BHI.

You'll be able to ask any questions you may have about moving on from the paediatric team.

Please register by Tuesday 25 February: [email protected]

For more details, call 0117 342 8286 or email [email protected]

Address

Paul O'Gorman Building, Upper Maudlin Street
Bristol
BS28BJ

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