General news

Great Ormond Street Hospital (GOSH) has become one of the first NHS trusts to win a national award for its annual report.

The bewitching hour of all hallows is fast approaching and following last year’s fiendishly successful Halloween decorating competion, staff and patients at Great Ormond Street Hospital (GOSH), have been invited to make their wards/offices/laboratories spooktacular!

“We wanted to take part in research looking for genetic and lifestyle factors that might cause cleft lips and palates to help prevent other parents having to go through all of this.” 

Cora, aged six, received injections of botox as part of a research study at GOSH. Most people will have heard of botox (or botulinum toxin to give it its proper name) as a cosmetic procedure but did you know that it can also be used to reduce muscle stiffness for children with cerebral palsy? Cora’s mum Poonam explains more: 

Two-year-old Lucas, who features on Paul O'Grady's Little Heroes, travelled from Belfast in Northern Ireland with his mum Caitlin and dad Johnny, arriving at GOSH for specialised retinal laser surgery on a detached retina, caused by a rare eye condition called Coats’ Disease. Here his mum Caitlin shares their story. 

“It was a big decision to decide to get involved with the programme because we’re sharing our lives, but it’s so important to me that everyone realises these little button batteries are all round us, often in places you’d never expect. It’s vital people have more awareness to help protect their children against the dangers of swallowing them.” 

Six-year old Noah has a rare genetic condition called Alagille Syndrome, which affects around one in 100,000 children from birth. It affects lots of different parts of the body, including the heart and liver, but the biggest concern for Noah is how the condition is impacting his kidneys. His mum Gemma shares their story. 

“Anxiety is a mental health condition and a lot of people aren’t aware of how severely it can impact your life. It’s a lot more than just being worried.” 

Seventeen year old Gavriel has a rare muscle condition called Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD). Together with his brother Joshua, aged eight, he is taking part in an innovative new clinical trial looking at how artificial intelligence (AI) can be used to track movement ability in boys with DMD. Their mum Kerry tells their story:

“I’ve met the most courageous, extraordinary and inspiring children in the country whilst witnessing the most incredible pioneering life-changing treatments.” Paul O’Grady