The Renal Ward at Bristol Children’s Hospital, known as the Lighthouse Ward, which cares for babies and children with kidney conditions, is undergoing major renovation work, thanks to funding from Coleford charity, Time is Precious, and the Bristol Children’s Hospital Charity, The Grand Appeal.

So far, this has included the renovation of the Haemo-dialysis Room, where young patients can spend up to twelve hours each week to have their blood purified.

As part of this renovation, which has been made possible with generous support from long-time supporters Time is Precious, (who donated £13,200), and The Grand Appeal, the refurbishment of the ward’s Treatment Room has also taken place, which now features a nautical theme.

With a catchment area spanning 10,000 miles, the Lighthouse Ward at Bristol Children’s Hospital is a regional centre of excellence and acts as a second home to so many families from across the region, some of whom must travel for hours every few days for extensive treatment.

One Mum who knows only too well the impact that this transformation will have is Emma, whose three-year-old daughter, Isabella, has been treated by the hospital’s expert team of renal specialists since she was born.

Emma said: “At just three days old, Isabella was diagnosed with End Stage Renal Failure, meaning she needed to start dialysis as soon as possible if she was to have any chance of survival. Since then, she has spent hundreds of hours on Lighthouse Ward, before she received a kidney transplant earlier this year.

“Like many other families, we have had to spend a huge part of our lives in the unit, and so we are incredibly grateful to Time is Precious, The Grand Appeal and all their other fantastic supporters who have helped make the environment the best it can be for its patients and parents.”