Rose smiling wearing a black headband and an orange Evelina London Children

Rose's thank you for Molly's life-saving care

Rose Abbott completed the Royal Parks Half Marathon for Evelina London Children’s Charity as a heartfelt thanks to the hospital that saved her daughter’s life when she was just six-weeks-old.

In November 2021, Rose’s daughter Molly became critically ill. At just 6 weeks old, she had contracted a rare virus that developed into bronchiolitis, followed by sepsis.

Tiny Molly was transferred to Evelina London from The Royal London Hospital paediatric intensive care unit. After 24 hours, she was placed onto Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation (ECMO), a temporary life support system for patients whose lungs or heart have stopped working properly. This lifesaving ECMO treatment is given to around 200 children in the UK each year.

Baby Molly is in critical care unit cot, surrounded by plush toys.

Molly was in intensive care for seven weeks

She was treated in the intensive care unit at Evelina London, which pioneered the use of ECMO for small babies like Molly. Here, she received care from two ECMO specialist nurses. Rose said, “The virus was so vicious that her lungs needed a break, and the ECMO machine intervened to act as her lungs. There was nothing else after this for Molly, I knew that ECMO was the highest level of care.”

During this scary time, Molly’s family celebrated their baby girl’s first Christmas at her bedside and hung Christmas stockings around her cot. They were able to stay close by at Ronald McDonald House, a ‘home away from home’ for families whose children are being cared for in Evelina London.

Rose said, “I didn’t know how I would physically get through it, but a nurse told me to take it hour by hour, and I did. As we got past New Year Molly was able to come off ECMO and I could see a glimmer of hope, I just felt like it wasn’t real.”

“If it wasn’t for the ECMO machine and the amazing team at Evelina London, Molly would not be here today. What Evelina London did for Molly and our family was nothing short of a miracle.”

Rose Abbott, Molly's mum

Molly being held by her dad Sam on the left, Rose on the right holding Hughie. Family is in in front of trees.

Saying thank you through fundraising

Now, Molly is a feisty three-year-old who loves playing outside. Rose said: “She has fight in her, and what she has faced comes through in her personality.”

This October, Rose ran the Royal Parks Half Marathon to fundraise for Evelina London Children’s Charity. Molly, her brother Hughie, and their father Sam were there to cheer Rose across the finish line.

Rose ran the 13.1mile course in 2 hours 10 minutes, said: “I am fundraising to help other families who are going through a similar situation. When you walk into Evelina London you just get a good feeling. The tiny small things add up to make the world of difference.”

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How your donations are changing lives

Evelina London was the first paediatric hospital in the UK to pioneer a special type of respiratory ECMO for small babies like Molly. This advanced treatment has been able to reduce the risk of serious complications for patients, such as strokes. Since Molly received ECMO, clinicians at Evelina London have provided wider training for this life-saving treatment, leading to its use in multiple children’s hospitals across the UK and other countries.

Your generous support has contributed to the incredible care provided at Evelina London, particularly in the creation of the Sky Ward, where Molly recovered. Thanks to your support, Evelina London has successfully expanded its intensive care unit, increasing its ability to treat very ill children throughout south east England.

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