Loving Grandad to run Great North Run to thank children’s charity

Colin Baker from Barnsley is taking part in the Great North Run this September in the hope of raising £1,500 for The Sick Children’s Trust, a charity that supported his family when his granddaughter, Ava was seriously ill in hospital.

Colin and his wife, Gillian first heard about The Sick Children’s Trust when Ava was born with two very serious heart conditions. She needed open heart surgery at Leeds General Infirmary at just three months old and her parents, Laura and Robert were able to stay close by in Eckersley House, a ‘Home from Home’ provided by the charity.

After a successful first operation, Ava was recovering well until unexpectedly an aneurysm was found next to her heart. At just 5 months old Ava had open heart surgery for the second time at Leeds General Infirmary. Luckily consultants caught her condition just in time and after a long and anxious nine hour wait, Laura and Robert were pleased to see their little girl return from surgery. Ava is still on medication but is recovering well and visits Leeds General Infirmary frequently for follow-up appointments.

Colin, 59 says “Laura and Robert stayed in Eckersley House on two occasions when Ava was undergoing treatment in hospital and it was a wonderful support for them. Without the house they would have had to travel from their home in Barnsley to Leeds every day; a distance of over 20 miles. The house had everything they could need and enabled them to be close by to Ava at all times.

“I decided to sign up for the Great North Run to raise money for The Sick Children’s Trust to ensure that other families can stay close by to their children who are very poorly in hospital. Ava is our first grandchild and is truly a little miracle. She is doing so well now, her personality is growing every day and she never fails to make us smile!”

Jane McHale, House Manager of Eckersley House said “We are so grateful to Colin for signing up to take part in the Great North Run and are so pleased to hear that little Ava is now doing well.  It is amazing that Colin has already raised £1,010, we are so grateful. It costs us £28 to accommodate a family for one night in our ‘Homes from Home’ so the money he is raising will help us to support many families who are forced to face the most difficult of circumstances. We wish Colin lots of luck for the run and can’t wait to hear how he gets on.”

The Sick Children’s Trust provides free, high quality ‘Home from Home’ accommodation as well as emotional and practical support for families who have seriously ill children in hospital. The charity has nine houses across the UK where families can stay free of charge, just minutes from their child’s side.