2 minute read
WhenYou Wish Upon AStar
The motherofachild who is set to have a wish granted by a charity has praised the organisation for their support.
Harry Talbot, who lives in Stone, is one of the children who is currently waiting for a Wish from the When You Wish Upon aStar (WYWUAS).
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His Wish was put on hold due to the pandemic but he has beenontreat trips with WYWUAS in the past.
His mum Sarah DarbyTalbot said: Harry was born with duodenal atresia and needed lifesaving surgery at two days old to reconnect his stomach and bowel. Harry has multi-suture craniosynostosis, which meant he had no room for his brain to grow so needed afull skull reconstruction at 11 months old to release the pressure from around his brain. Harry has acomplete AVSD, which required open heart surgery at three years old. At five years old, Harry had to have his skull reopened again to reconstruct it using distractors, which required the rods turning twice aday at home to release the pressure on his brain, alongside decompression surgery. The decompression surgery was to try help his Chiari malformation, meaning the back of his brain had started to fall onto his spinal cord causing asyrinx (fluid builduponhis spine). Four days after Harrys most recent skull and decompression surgery, Harry was rushed back into theatre for emergency surgery to repair his brain as it was leaking fluid as one of the screwsinthe distractors (rods) had torn his brain.
When You Wish Upon aStar is anational charity which grants the Wishes of children living with life threatening illnesses. The charity has been transforming the lives of children and families across the UK since it was foundedin1990 and has granted over 18,500 Wishes and counting.
The charity was founded in Nottingham by Barbara White, who was so inspired by a seriously ill four-year-old, who dreamt of meeting Mickey Mouse, she wanted to bring smiles to thefaces of many more brave and courageous children.
Sarah added: As afamilywe have already enjoyed various treats from When You Wish Upon aStar, including the Winter Wonderland at Centre Parcs. These treats have allowed us to enjoy some much-needed quality family time together away from the constant hospital stays and appointments. Its got us through our darkest of days. AlthoughHarrys Wish has had to go on hold due to Covid-19, it gives us as afamily something positive to look forward too. Harrysbig sister(Lily, who is eight years old) has been on this rollercoaster of ajourney with Harrys complex health since he was born, and Harrys Wish being granted in the future means just as muchto Lily as it does Harry as it significantly affects all the family whenyou have such a sick child. Shes had to watch Harry go through many lifesaving surgeries in his short five years, countless hospital stays away from home and found it upsetting to have her family in different parts of the country. When You Wish Upon a Star gives us hope and something positive to think about and we are very much looking forward to making memories to last alifetime whenHarrys Wish is granted.
To find out more about the charity, go online to www.whenyouwishuponastar.or g.uk or contact WYWUAS at fundraising@whenyouwish.org. uk or by calling 0115 9791720.
