Little Odette Derry has undergone 17 surgeries to remove a brain tumour. Her mum and dad Sophie and Tom Derry took her to the GP when she started to complain of headaches.
The parents were advised to take her for an eye test, where some swelling on her head was found. Odette was taken to A&E and had a CT scan where doctors discovered she had a brain tumour.
She then underwent a nine-hour brain surgery at Nottingham Children's Hospital on February 22, 2022. But then had some complications post op, leading to a further surgeries - in total she was in the hospital for seven months.
Sophie and Tom said they are internally grateful to the NHS for saving their daughter's life. Speaking to Leicestershire Live, Sophie said: “Odette received incredible care from the staff on ward E40 during her time in hospital. You are thrust into this unknown world that you really don’t want to be part of, but the staff do everything they can to make a horrendous situation bearable. The capabilities of the surgical team are mind blowing, and the nursing staff are angels in uniform!
“You see the same faces day in, day out, and they start to feel like family. They see you at your darkest moments, and are always there to support. Nothing was ever too much trouble, and Odette loved everyone. From the play workers, to the rehab team, to the cleaners, everyone was wonderful.”
The couple are now raising money for Nottingham Children's Hospital by running the equivalent of five marathons in five days. The pair ran from the hospital Odette was born in - in central London - up to Nottingham Children's Hospital, aiming to raise £10,000.
Sophie said: “We wanted to do something to express our gratitude to those who cared so well for Odette. We also want to raise as much money as possible to hopefully help other children and families affected by brain tumours.
“We knew that we wanted to do some sort of long-distance running challenge, and that it had to be significant to Odette in some way. We decided to run from the hospital that she was born in, Chelsea and Westminster in London, to the hospital where she received her lifesaving treatments. This just happened to work out at roughly a marathon a day!”
The pair have since completed their challenge, doing it between May 29 and June 2, and they have raised more than £11,000. The money will go to the neurology ward E40 at Nottingham Children's Hospital, where Odette was cared for.
Speaking after completing the challenge, Sophie said: “‘We are blown away by the number of donations and support we’ve had over the course of organising and completing this mammoth challenge. We thought that our £10,000 target was perhaps a bit ambitious, but we’re thrilled to say it’s been smashed! As for the actual five marathons in five days, we’re relieved that’s they’re over and that we’re still in one piece – just!”
