Becky is a member of the Under 12 and London Senior Orchestras; she is 12 and plays the French horn. Becky has juvenile idiopathic arthritis and has been treated by Great Ormond Street Hospital (GOSH) since her diagnosis at age 4.
Sadly last Christmas, Becky became very unwell and was rushed from her home in Twickenham to GOSH. The doctors and nurses recognised that Becky had developed macrophage activation syndrome, a rare but sometimes fatal complication of JIA. Becky spent three days on a life support machine and a month on the Penguin Ward to recover.
On Saturday 12 November, Becky was invited to take part in the Lord Mayor’s Show to celebrate a new fundraising milestone for GOSH Children’s Charity. The Lord Mayor’s Show is an annual procession through Central London of more than 7,000 people, 200 horses and 140 floats, which celebrates the appointment of the newly elected Lord Mayor of London.
GOSH Children’s Charity is the charity partner of Premier Inn and Restaurants. Team members have raised a whopping £7.5million for GOSH’s Premier Inn Clinical Building - new state of the art facilities providing space for parents to stay by their child's bedside overnight – and took to the streets of London to celebrate with new Lord Mayor, Dr Andrew Parmley.
During the day Becky had the chance to meet Dame Barbara Windsor, was interviewed live on television by Gyles Brandreth for BBC One, and featured in the Evening Standard!
Before Becky fell ill last year, she successfully auditioned for a place in the Under 12 Orchestra. Much to Becky’s delight, she was well enough to take part in both the spring and summer residential courses, and she is now awaiting her results from her audition this year. We’d like to wish her the best of luck and hope that her love of music will continue for many more years!
Becky commented:
“I am keeping my fingers crossed about my audition results, but whatever the outcome it has been great fun and it has helped me to focus on getting better. One of the things I really missed about being in hospital was the fact that I couldn't play my horn. One weekend my dad smuggled it in for me, which the duty nurses thought was great!”
Above: Becky with her mum, Alison, at the Lord Mayor's Show © GOSH Children's Charity
Top: Becky with Dame Barbara Windsor and GOSH patient Harvey © GOSH Children's Charity
For more information on Great Ormond Street Hospital & Children's Charity, please click here.
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