A complete list of our posts addressing various citizenship issues can be accessed by clicking through the chronological list on the right hand side of this page. Alternatively you can use the 'Search This Blog' option below the Torquay Girls Grammar School Logo.

Please note that comments for pre-2013 posts have now been disabled. However, we encourage you to leave a comment on any of the new 2013 issues that interest you by clicking on 'comments' at the end of each post. All comments are moderated by school staff prior to posting.


Monday 20 February 2012

Great Ormond Street Hospital- Keeping the magic alive


Firstly, I would like to thank you for taking an interest in my blog! I am trying to raise awareness of Great Ormond Street Hospital (GOSH) and the amazing things they do. As this is not a well-known topic, you may not know anything about GOSH, but I hope that you will learn a bit about the miracles they perform.

I will start off by explaining t you just exactly what GOSH do. The hospital offers the widest range paediatric services under just one roof in Britain, and pioneers new treatments and medicines through its research body, the UCL institute of child health. Great Ormond Street Hospital has over 175,000 children from all over the world visit the hospital each year with the rarest and most complex conditions. They provide world-class treatment for their seriously ill patients each day; there is no hospital just like Great Ormond Street Hospital.  They provide beds for parents to stay with the child, they help patients and their families get back on their feet when the child is better, and the people there genuinely care about the comfort and health of the patient. 

 Secondly, I am going to tell you a bit about why the hospital needs your donations. To help keep the magic alive, they need to raise £50 million every year. Their ambitious program to rebuild two thirds of the hospital will give everyone the space they need, making cramped, outdated wards a thing of the past. Their patients and staff need state-of-the-art equipment, but specialist tools are very expensive, especially those suitable for children and babies. The presence of family helps children recover. With your help GOSH can provide more beds for parents so they can be on hand to give hugs any time of the day or night. Their researchers are leading the way, discovering and developing treatments for complex medical conditions. Funding their pioneering journeys today will make a difference for generations to come.

A TRUE STORY

This is the story of a patient at GOSH, Lara, the true-life story is written below by Lara’s mother, Julie.

“Shortly after our beautiful daughter Lara was born she fell into a coma. She was diagnosed with a life-threatening disorder, Methylmalonic Acidemia (MMA.)” It means Lara’s body cannot properly process the protein it takes in a turns into damaging toxins.

Returning to the UK

“We returned to the UK, as we were living in Portugal, and found Professor James Leonard (now retired) at Great Ormond Street Hospital. This happened just in time, as in the summer of 2003, Lara suddenly stopped eating. Her body started using up its own protein stores so she also became dangerously acidic.”

Finding a rare Treatment

‘’At one point we were told she probably wouldn’t make it through the night- the most harrowing time of our lives. However, Professor Leonard came up with a rare treatment and very slowly she began to recover. Lara is able to maintain as normal a life as possible with the help of Great Ormond Street Hospital. She owes her life to the hospital and staff, and without them we would not have our joyous little girl who touches the heart of everyone she meets.”

If your child/friend/sibling becomes seriously ill, GOSH will be the hospital they are sent to as it is the best hospital for children. But, if they don’t receive enough money they aren’t going to be able to provide that expected world-class care, and your child/friend/sibling will suffer, do you really want that?

So I’m sure you’re wondering how to get involved, well it’s quite simple really. Just visit the website below and either visit make a donation or sign up for one of their exciting fundraising events, you can also sign up for a regular donation to the hospital, it’s all for a very good cause.


 Lastly, I just want to say a final thank you for reading my blog. And please help to keep the magic alive, do a good deed today! It would be greatly appreciated if you could please spend a moment to leave a comment below. Thank you, Kazia. 

  • Would you now support GOSH?
  • Do you feel more informed about what the hospital does?
  • Have I changed your attitude towards GOSH, if so how/why?
  • What town/country/county do you live in? This is so I know how far my blog has reached.