8 year old Lily donates her hair to raise funds for hospital that saved her life

8 year old Lily Fitzpatrick was born 15 weeks premature and weighing a meagre 1lb 5oz. After suffering a brain haemorrhage at just a few days old she continued to receive treatment at Heartlands Hospital Neonatal Department and Birmingham Women’s Hospital. Despite recovering well from the haemorrhage, at six weeks old Lily contracted necrotising enterocolitis and was left struggling to breathe.

Fortunately for Lily and her parents she is now fit and well and fundraising for Heartlands hospital, to give back to the hospital that helped her so many years ago. Lily’s latest fundraising mission was to have her very long hair cut off to donate to children with cancer.

Lily’s dad, Steve, said: “Lily has very long hair, right down past her bottom, and she asked us if she could have it cut and donate it to the Little Princess Trust, who donate hair and in return get a wig for children with cancer.

“My wife and I were so proud of her, and we suggested that she might also like to get sponsors and donate the money to Heartlands as they helped her so much when she was a baby.”

Lily and her family raised over £400 for the neonatal unit at Heartlands and on Saturday 9th June Lily visited the Nicky Clarke salon in Birmingham’s Mailbox to have her long hair chopped!

Sian Averill, Fundraising Manager at Heartlands Hospital said: “Thank you to Lily for doing such an amazing thing for Heartlands Hospital. The money raised will go towards providing ‘added extras’ over and above what the NHS can afford for babies and families just like the Fitzpatricks.”

If you’d like more information about how Heartlands Hospital Charity supports patients, please go to www.heartlandshospital.org.uk or call 0121 371 4852.