A BRAVE teenager has shaved her head to raise money for the hospital which has looked after her for the past seven years.
Seventeen-year-old Beth McConkey, a Post-16 pupil at Aston Academy, has raised almost £600 for Sheffield Children’s Hospital by cutting off her waist-length brown hair.
Together with friends Sophie Gray, Megan Owen and Anna French, the teenagers have taken part in various fundraising events this year – including a quiz night, charity leg wax and sponsored walk – to further raise funds for the city centre hospital.
Sophie Gray, Bethany McKonkey, Anna French and Megan Owen, from Aston Academy, have been fundraising for Sheffield Children’s Hospital.
Beth was first admitted to Sheffield Children’s Hospital aged 10, where she was diagnosed with bilateral duplex kidneys, dietary and bowel problems. The word ‘duplex’ is Latin for double, so the teen effectively has two double kidneys; one on each side, each with its own ureter tube to drain urine, rather than a single tube.
“My friends know that there are certain foods that I can and can’t eat and they just accept me for who I am,” said Beth.
“My condition is just a part of me and I still lead a pretty normal life.
“The fundraising has been a great success and it’s nice to give something back to Sheffield Children’s Hospital, who have done so much for me.”
Beth and her friends also recently took part in a mass swab session at the Aughton Road school, part of the Aston Community Education Trust (ACET), where staff and pupils over the age of 16 joined the Anthony Nolan Trust of potential lifesavers.
In April, 15-year-old Aston Academy student Harrison Walch was diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukaemia. His mum, Nickie Walch – along with Harrison’s form tutor, Brett Sutcliffe – invited members of student group Sheffield Marrow into school to deliver assemblies and take cheek swabs from volunteers.
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Their details will now be placed on a national register of youngsters who are willing to donate their blood stem cells or bone marrow to people with blood cancer and blood disorders, who desperately need lifesaving transplants.
“I have also been involved in fundraising for Harrison Kicks Leukaemia; the group set up by Harrison’s mum to raise money for the oncology ward at Sheffield Children’s Hospital,” added Beth.
“The money we have raised has gone towards the hospital’s annual Snowflake Appeal and there is a snowflake on the side of the hospital with Harrison’s name on it.
“I hope that the swab session will take place again next year, so that more people from Aston Academy can join the register. It was so simple to sign up to the Anthony Nolan register and the fact that I could potentially save someone’s life is an amazing feeling.”
ENDS
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