Paul O'Grady's Little Heroes: Episode three

In this episode, Aleks (11), arrives at Great Ormond Street Hospital (GOSH) for a life-changing eight-hour operation to reconstruct the bone around her eye and cheek using bone taken from her leg. Paul meets Fazeel (11), who has epidermolysis bullosa (EB), which causes the skin to become very fragile, and any trauma or friction to the skin can cause painful blisters.

Paul also pays a visit to four-year-old Taheem, who was diagnosed with kidney failure when he was just 15 months old. Taheem is currently waiting for a kidney transplant and requires four hours of dialysis three times a week, which is a struggle for his mum, Aida.

Paul O'Grady said:

"It has been an absolute honour to film at GOSH, meeting the children, and their families as they go through some of their toughest days. They were truly inspiring. I have so much admiration for the truly dedicated staff who treat and care for them. I can’t wait for you all to meet all the cheeky characters, happy faces and brave families that I had the privilege of meeting."

Aleks (pictured above) was only six years old when her mum, Dana, noticed there was something not right about her left eye.

“We discovered she had a lump under her eye, just inside her eye, which gradually got bigger, pushing her eye upwards,” says Dana. “We didn’t really know what it was, but we never thought it was anything serious.”

After more tests and scans, Aleks was eventually diagnosed with orbital chordoma – a very rare type of bone cancer. Now age 11, Aleks is still receiving treatment at GOSH.

Read Aleks' story

"I have this motto to never give up," says 11-year-old Fazeel. Fazeel has epidermolysis bullosa, also known as EB. It causes the skin to become very fragile, and any trauma or friction to the skin can cause painful blisters.

"It is a really severe skin condition but I don’t let that stop me.”

Read Fazeel's story

Four-year-old Taheem was diagnosed with kidney failure when he was just 15 months old. He’s currently waiting for a kidney transplant, and while he waits, he requires four hours of dialysis, three times per week. His story features in episode three of Paul O’Grady’s Little Heroes.

Visit the charity site to read Taheem's story and find out how the charity supports the hospital.

When Sarah was 13 years old, she was diagnosed with conical kidney disease meaning her kidneys don't work properly. Now age 16, she's currently on the transplant waiting list and travels from Milton Keynes three times a week for four hours of kidney dialysis treatment on GOSH's Eagle Ward.

Dr Martinez is a Consultant in Paediatric Dermatology and supervises a team of 15 specialists treating complex conditions that involve the skin. In episode three, she talks about patient Fazeel and explains how facilities on the Pelican Ward make life more comfortable for children staying there.

Read more about Anna's work at GOSH