The Pied Piper Appeal raised £1.2 million to enable the Children’s Centre at Gloucestershire Royal Hospital to be built. This brand new, child friendly ward, with facilities for 44 young inpatients and outpatients, was opened in December 2004.

Fun loving Zackery Phelps is one of many local children who have benefited from the new Centre. Born four weeks premature, with an enlarged kidney, Zack spent the first ten days of his life at Gloucestershire Royal receiving kidney treatment and because he was very jaundice. Less than a year later, after numerous scans and outpatient visits his kidney surgery was scheduled.

Minutes before going to theatre, Zack received a final examination from the Senior House Officer who noticed a heart murmur. An emergency Echo scan revealed a hole in his heart and vein going to the wrong side. He underwent open heart surgery a year later, at 23 months, remaining in Intensive Care for two days.

Over the years, Zack has had countless reviews and check-ups which always showed positive results, but a severe viral infection in 2005 resulted in yet another stay at the Children’s Centre.

In November 2007 and July 2008, this brave little boy had to undergo further operations on his heart, including the insertion of a stent in his main upper body vein. Although this operation was a success the stent will need adjusting/replacing as Zack grows, so further operations and hospital stays will be necessary in the future. The new facilities with their child friendly environment will help make these visits less traumatic for him and his family.

Zack, now aged six, talks happily about his operations to his school friends and describes having a special tube inside his heart as cool!

You would think kidney and heart surgery would be enough for any young child to deal with, but in June 2009 Zack was once again emergency admitted to the Childrens Centre. This time with a distended stomach, following scans, further tests and an endoscopy, Zack was finally diagnosed with Coeliac Disease in early September 2009. He now regularly attends the Childrens Centre to see his consultant and dietician for support adjusting to his new gluten free diet. In addition, due to numerous attacks of tonsillitis Zack is also under the care of the ENT team who will be removing his tonsils in early 2010.

Tamara Leah, the Appeal’s Corporate & Community Fundraiser explains “Pied Piper continues to raise funds for both Cheltenham and Gloucester hospitals to buy child friendly equipment and play & learning materials which are needed but which the NHS cannot afford. These are all designed ease children’s fears and aid a speedy recovery. We need your help so we can continue to help children like Zack”.

The Pied Piper Appeal wishes to thank Zack and his parents, CJ and Marcus, for their continuing support of The Pied Piper Appeal.