A grateful student has gone above and beyond after hiking to the summit of Mount Snowdon and raising over £780 for Birmingham Children’s Hospital Charity in memory of her big sister, who passed away. 

Beth Horsfield, a student from Chester, laced up her walking boots along with best friend, Caroline, to take on the mountain as part of her 21st birthday celebrations. Rather than ask for gifts, she asked for donations to say thank you for the care and support her family received when her sister, Charlotte, was treated at the hospital. 

Beth’s parents, Sue and Mark, lived on the Isle of Man with five-year-old Charlotte and, when she fell ill, paramedics could see she needed specialist treatment, which the island’s two hospitals couldn’t provide, so she was flown straight to Birmingham Children’s Hospital. Charlotte was diagnosed with Alpers Disease, a progressive disorder that was causing her liver to fail and tragically, after six weeks of treatment at the hospital, she passed away. Sue and Mark were devastated and being in a different country to the rest of their family only added to their turmoil. 

With their home over 160 miles away, Sue and Mark had been put up in temporary accommodation for the duration of their stay, paid for the hospital’s charity, so that they could both be at Charlotte’s bedside when she needed them most.  

Beth realised that her parents wouldn’t have been able to spend that precious time with Charlotte had they not been gifted with the chance to stay nearby, and it was this that inspired her to tackle Snowdon. 

Beth said: “Had it not been for Birmingham Children’s Hospital Charity, my parents are certain they wouldn’t have been able to stay in Birmingham with Charlotte with such ease, and that’s something our family will always be truly grateful for. 

“I’d always wanted to climb Snowdon and it seemed a fitting challenge to remember Charlotte, but it was definitely harder than I thought! On the day, the weather was terrible, and even though Caroline and I made it to the summit, we couldn’t see a thing through the cloud and rain! I’m proud to have done it though and I’m chuffed to bits with the amount I managed to raise.” 

Miranda Williams, Head of Public Fundraising at Birmingham Children’s Hospital Charity, said: “As well as the emotional strain of having a child in hospital, finances can also become a worry, especially if you’re as far away from home as Sue and Mark were. As our hospital treats some of the sickest children from across the UK, it’s a story we hear so often.  

“As a charity, we helped Beth’s family in their hour of need and we’re humbled that memory has stayed with them long enough to inspire Beth’s incredible fundraising. The funds Beth raised will go towards helping us do more for families just like hers.”