A Run, Bike And Jump To Raise Money For Sick Kids

Two young brothers from Northampton managed to raise over £1,700 for the sick kids at Birmingham Children’s Hospital over the summer holidays, in honour of their baby cousin, Penny, who received a life-saving liver transplant there.  

Dexter, 11, and Eli Scott, 6, chose to take part in the hospital charity’s Summer Fundraising Challenge during the six-week holidays by running and cycling over 50 miles and jumping on a trampoline for six minutes every day respectively. The boys decided they wanted to fundraise for the hospital after the incredible care Penny received.  

11-month-old Penny was born with a genetic condition that affected her liver. Her family, who live in Peterborough, found out about the condition in December last year, just a few weeks after she was born. She was quickly referred to Birmingham Children’s Hospital, which is home to the UK's premier paediatric liver unit and is also one of the busiest in the world. Her condition started to worsen in April and by the end of May, it was evident she would need a liver transplant.  

Penny spent the next few months in hospital until a donor was found. In July, the family’s agonising wait came to an end and, at eight months old, Penny received surgery and her new liver. Since the operation, she has gone from strength to strength, but is still under the care of the world-renowned specialists there, while she grows. 

Initially, the brothers had planned to raise £100 for the hospital to say thank you for everything the various teams had done for their cousin. Over the course of the six weeks, come rain or shine, Dexter pulled on his trainers and ran or cycled a mile, while Eli went into the garden and did six minutes of jumping on his trampoline. Their dedication didn’t faulter even on holiday, with Dexter running along the beaches and lakes of Blackpool and the Lake District. Their determination was infectious and thanks to donations from their classmates, family and friends, they finished their challenge having raised over a phenomenal £1,740.  

Mum, Heather, said: “The boys really got the fundraising bug from this challenge; Dexter ended up exceeding his total miles, hitting around 60 miles instead of the 50 he’d originally planned, and Eli even enjoyed completing his challenge in the rain. The money they raised was beyond anything they could’ve dreamed of and every time a donation came through it spurred them on even more. The total raised is a testament to their incredible spirits.” 

When asked what he hoped the money would go towards, Dexter replied: “I’d like the money to go to all the children who need to stay longer at the hospital, getting them toys, decorations for their ward and the equipment they will need.” On the challenge, Eli commented: “It was really fun. The hospital helped Penny, so we wanted to raise lots of money to help them too.” 

Miranda Williams, head of public fundraising at Birmingham Children’s Hospital Charity, said: “We’re so grateful to Dexter and Eli for the amazing fundraising they did as part of our Summer Fundraising Challenge. The amount they raised is astounding and will make a huge difference to the lives of the patients and families at our hospital. We can’t thank them both enough.”  

If you’ve been inspired and would like to fundraise for Birmingham Children’s Hospital Charity, or if you’d like to donate, please visit bch.org.uk or call 0121 333 8506.