Bike ride for little Ella

Ella is an incredibly brave little girl and full of fight, this is her and her family’s story:

Before Ella was born in October 2019, her parents, Arwel & Leah knew she would need to be born in Bristol as it was the best equipped hospital to manage her health complications. She was born unable to breathe, her heart was on the right side of her chest, she had a small right lung, and an unformed oesophagus.

At 3 days old, little Ella underwent a 6 hour operation and spent 9 tough weeks in Intensive Care. Arwel & Leah relied on a Charity house in Bristol, which enabled them to be close to Ella and not have to travel to and from West Wales every day.

Ella was tube fed for the first 11 months of her life and for the past 18 months, Ella has needed surgery in Bristol every 3 weeks on her oesophagus, to enable her to drink milk and eat puree.

In July this year, Ella fell seriously ill with an undiagnosed condition. A hole was discovered in her airway, meaning she was suddenly unable to breathe for herself. She had to endure a lengthy life saving operation in Great Ormond Street Hospital in London.

In total, Ella spent 8 weeks in 3 different Intensive Care Units. Whilst in the Cardiff, Bristol and London Hospitals, Arwel & Leah were provided with accommodation very close to the hospitals. It gave them much needed respite and a break from the stresses of Intensive Care but also the reassurance that they were never too far away from Ella's bedside.

The charity houses across the UK are funded entirely by donations and Arwel & Leah would like to give something back, as their lives would have been made so much harder without the accommodation. It gave them one less thing to worry about, when they had no time to plan and found themselves hundreds of miles from home.

Ella is now almost 2 years old and is recovering well from her recent operations. However, her parents will continue to rely on the charity house in Bristol for many years to come, due to Ella's ongoing medical needs.

Colleagues of Leah and Arwel want to raise money in support of this incredibly brave little girl. They will be completing a bike ride on the 17th of October 2021, by this date Ella will be coming up to her 36 operation. They will be cycling 202 miles on a circuit which represents the distance from Ellas’ home to Great Ormond street which recently saved her life. All money raised will go to the charity houses as chosen by the family.