Billy Jobson

My link with GOSH

My name is Billy and this is why I’m forever in GOSH debt. 

I was Born on the 5th August 1994

Day 1 I couldn’t feed so I was transferred to GOSH NICU where it was discovered I had a Trachea oesophageal fistula (TOF). Which means my oesophagus was capped of in the middle, and the bottom part was attached to my lungs. A operation corrected this which meant cutting through my right hand side under arm, this operation went well and was corrected by a surgeon called Professor Spitz. 

Day 3 is when my mum and dad found out I also had numerous heart defects. 

A coarctation of the Aorta 

Which meant a narrowing of my main artery called the Aorta (which feeds blood to your lower body). another operation was needed straight away. This time under the left arm.  which meant going through to the valve where they cut and joined the valves making the Aorta have good blood flow to my lower body. All was going well until I was 6 weeks old when again GOSH saved me. I had pyloric stenosis which is when food hits the stomach muscle and causes you to vomit everything you have eaten. Another operation was needed which is across the bottom of my stomach which corrected this and all was good. 

At 6 months old I had to go in to GOSH for what was the big operation. I had to have open heart surgery as there was three holes in my heart but one was to big to close on its own I had A ventricular septal defect (VSD). They put a man made patch (balloon) over the bigger hole. This took around 8 hrs to complete but thank fully was successful.

Over the coming years I had several stretches of the oesophagus as it kept narrowing and causing me to choke on particular foods which I still suffer with today but know how to handle it. 

I still have heart check ups but GOSH looked after me until my 18th birthday then handed me over to another brilliant team at Basildon hospital.

So this 100k is the lest I can do for this AMAZING organisation.

I’m running 100K in September for GOSH Charity! 

I’m challenging myself to run 100 kilometres this September to raise money for Great Ormond Street Hospital Children’s Charity (GOSH Charity).

Every day brings new challenges at Great Ormond Street Hospital (GOSH). Every day, around 750 seriously ill children and young people are seen at GOSH from all over the UK for life-changing treatment and care. Every day, doctors and nurses battle the most complex illnesses, and the brightest minds come together to achieve pioneering medical breakthroughs.

And with every kilometre I run, I’ll be helping GOSH Charity give seriously ill children the chance of a better future.

This extraordinary hospital has always depended on charitable support, so please help me to achieve my goal by giving whatever you can; no amount is too small to make a difference.