Over the summer, TE Executive Producer, Daniel Brodie, visited Great Ormond Street Hospital (GOSH), to present a £221,000 cheque for GOSH’s Children’s Charity – Tick Tock Club – on behalf of team members at TE’s UK Theatre venues.

As we come to the end of the year, GOSH wanted to share with you the impact that support can make on the lives of children, like Bridie, aged 2 (main picture), and their families at GOSH.

Bridie was born normally with no complications but failed to regain her birth weight. Following several investigations, Bridie was diagnosed with coarctation of the aorta – a blockage in her aorta preventing her body, organs and lower limbs from receiving enough blood flow. Bridie’s heart was enlarged and distressed and she was referred to GOSH for urgent cardiac surgery.

“Bridie was blue-lighted to Flamingo Ward at GOSH – a cardiac intensive care unit. I wasn’t prepared to see a ward like that with so many machines. They started checking her over and after a few hours, at about 3am, a security guard walked me to a GOSH Charity funded accommodation building around the corner, as it isn’t possible to stay the night in ICU. Bridie’s open-heart surgery took place during lockdown and everything was closed so the charity parent accommodation was a complete lifeline and really invaluable”  – Lucy, Bridie’s Mum

Bridie is 2 years old now and was a bridesmaid at her parent’s wedding earlier this year. She has regular monitoring at GOSH for two holes in her heart.

GOSH’s latest Tick Tock Appeal for the new Critical Care Unit at GOSH, will help the hospital treat more children like Bridie and provide parent accommodation within the unit itself to ensure that parents can stay close to their child in the hardest of times. Thank you!