Seven-Year-Old Raises £800 for Hospital Ward Where He Received Care

A young resident of Jersey has successfully collected £800 to benefit a hospital ward that has provided him with care on multiple occasions. Seven-year-old Alfie Holt participated in the Marathon Mile event on the island earlier in the current month. His participation aimed to support Robin Ward, a facility dedicated to the care of infants, children, and adolescents. As an infant, Alfie received treatment on the ward three separate times for minor ear operations. He expressed a desire to contribute positively to the ward in return for the care he received. Personnel at the ward conducted a tour for Alfie and his family, detailing how the funds he collected could be utilized to assist other young patients. Alfie acknowledged that he had undertaken minimal preparation for the Marathon Mile, an event primarily contested by students. He described the experience as “really hard” and stated, “I got a stitch halfway through”. Alfie further explained his motivation, saying: “I wanted to raise money for the Robin Ward to make it better and so they can buy new toys and games for children”. Additionally, he wished to convey his gratitude to the staff members who had provided care for him during his infancy. Clair Lumsley, Alfie’s mother, accompanied her son on the visit to Robin Ward to observe the facilities and interact with the personnel. She expressed that she was “really proud” of Alfie and felt “quite surprised” by his enthusiasm to participate, given that “he is not a runner”. She also commented, “I think he wants to treat the children that are in here and especially coming up to Christmas so we might go for some care packages.” The team at Robin Ward commended Alfie for his fundraising efforts and his dedication to assisting other young patients. Paediatric Sister Courtney McDade remarked that his fundraising achievement was “absolutely amazing” and would be “amazing for the other children coming on to the ward”. For updates, follow BBC Jersey on X and Facebook. Story submissions can be sent to channel.islands@bbc.co.uk. Copyright 2024 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC bears no responsibility for the material found on external websites. Information regarding our policy on external linking is available.