Fin’s Phenomenal £10k Fundraiser Supports Other Brave Patients

A brave 17-year-old boy from Bromsgrove who took the plunge in a charity abseil has raised over £10,000 for Birmingham Children’s Hospital, as thanks for the specialist care he’s received throughout his life, including the last few months, following a devastating brain tumour diagnosis.

Finlay Joyce became a patient at Birmingham Children’s Hospital the moment he was born, after his mum, Amy’s, 20-week scan showed Finlay had Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome, which meant the left side of his heart was so underdeveloped that to all intents and purposes, he only had half a heart.

When Finlay was just three-days-old, he underwent his first of three open-heart surgeries to try and reconstruct his heart, with further procedures throughout his childhood to try and improve his blood flow and oxygen levels.

Despite dealing with the complications of only having half a heart, including feeling very tired and breathless, Finlay has been able to lead a relatively normal life. However, in June 2024, Finlay and his family’s world was turned upside down, when a precautionary eye test resulted in an emergency referral to Finlay’s local hospital.

Finlay wasn’t feeling himself and he’d started having difficulty with his balance, which he’d put down to his heart. However, when Finlay noticed his eyes twitching when he looked to the right, Amy set the wheels in motion and booked an eye test. In what felt like a whirlwind, Finlay found himself back at Birmingham Children’s Hospital and after further scans, doctors broke the news that he had a large, inoperable tumour attached to his brain stem.

Though Finlay’s doctors were sure they wouldn’t be able to remove the tumour, they took him to surgery to take a biopsy of the tumour, to help them understand more about its placement and how best to treat and try to shrink it. After a five-day stay at the hospital, Finlay returned home to recover before beginning treatment, which has so far included steroids to reduce swelling in his brain, and six-weeks of intensive radiotherapy to try and shrink the tumour and keep Finlay’s symptoms at bay.

Throughout his ordeal, Finlay wore a brave smile on his face and showed nothing but gratitude for the care he’s received at Birmingham Children’s Hospital. During one of Finlay’s visits to the hospital for treatment, as Amy pushed him into a lift in his wheelchair, he spotted a poster promoting the hospital charity’s abseil at the Custard Factory in Digbeth and decided there and then that he’d like to give it his best shot, to give back to the hospital.

Having taken part in an abseil herself, Amy was nervous about letting Finlay take on such a challenge in his condition but filled with enthusiasm, Finlay asked his consultants to give him the ‘go ahead’ to take part, and they did.

On the day, Finlay’s friends, family and even teachers from school turned out to cheer him on as he lowered himself 100ft down the side of the iconic building.

Finlay said: “I was worried that I wouldn’t be able to do the abseil because I’d felt so unwell in the run up and I even had my sister, Kitty, on standby to take my place if I couldn’t do it. Luckily, my symptoms improved a bit, and I managed to dig deep and get down! I was scared though because I don’t like heights!

“I set myself a £400 target so I’m really happy with the amount I raised and I’d like to say big thank you to everyone that sponsored me. I hope the money can help lots of children that need the care of Birmingham Children’s Hospital.”

Annie Eytle, Head of Public Fundraising at Birmingham Children’s Hospital Charity, said: “We’re in awe of Finlay’s bravery and determination to help other patients, especially when he felt so unwell himself.

“In spite of everything, Finlay smashed his abseil and in doing so, with the support of his generous friends and family, raised a phenomenal amount which will go a long way towards helping us do more for the 100,000 sick kids our hospital treats every single year.”