Every Christmas the staff at Great Ormond Street Hospital try even harder than usual to help more children get better and get home for the big day.
Unfortunately sometimes that's not possible. Meet Keller and Andrea who spent Christmas 2007 at the hospital.
Andrea, age 1, London
Andrea was born with a rare congenital condition which affects only about 40 children in the UK. When Andrea sleeps her brain fails to send signals to her lungs and without breathing equipment Andrea’s condition is fatal.
Like all the children on Great Ormond Street Hospital’s Transitional Care Unit (TCU), Andrea’s parents were unable to stay with her over night as her room is too small. Instead her parents worked shifts so that they could visit her throughout the day.
As Andrea needed 24 hour care and constant access to ventilation equipment she could not leave the hospital without healthcare workers and wheelchair access into her home. Her parents also had to undergo a six week medical training course by the staff at Great Ormond Street Hospital
Andrea did not leave the hospital until her first birthday in January 2008 and now she is about to spend her first ever Christmas at home, just before she turns two years old! Andrea and her family are very much looking forward to Christmas at home this year.
Keller, age 9, Kent
Keller’s parents had noticed a lump on his back and early May 2005 had taken him to his doctor’s to have it reviewed. Straight away their doctor sent them to hospital for a blood test which confirmed Keller had leukaemia.
Keller responded well to the chemotherapy treatment but he relapsed and in March 2007 he returned to Great Ormond Street Hospital. At this time doctors recommended a bone marrow transplant (BMT) and Keller began 13 weeks of chemotherapy and radiotherapy.
By December 2007, consultants believed Keller’s immune system was strong enough to mix with other people and gave him the ‘ok’ to go to the movies but just before Christmas he became unconscious and was moved onto the hospital’s intensive care ward and placed on a life support machine. On Christmas Eve, Keller came around, but again started to deteriorate. Doctors believed he would have to be put back on the life support machine, but felt that if this was the case it would be terminal, as Keller’s body would not be strong enough to cope. Faced with this news, Keller’s family called all their family to visit and say their goodbyes. During this time the whole family stayed at the Parent’s Accommodation on Guilford Street with Keller’s sister attending the Great Ormond Street Hospital School to help wrap presents for other patients.
As Keller received more visitors his condition improved and soon he was awake and drafting his first plans for a fundraising event to thank the staff and the hospital that saved his life. When the family returned home on the first Sunday February 10th from Great Ormond Street Hospital in February they celebrated Christmas day again.
Keller is now back at school and is doing very well. He returns to Great Ormond Street Hospital for checks-ups and continues to take medication every day.
