Lyla O’Donovan's Hartlepool dad to run 20 miles from home to Newcastle's RVI to thank hospital team who saved his daughter's life

Lyla O’Donovan has had ten operations on her brain so far and six of them have been at the Royal Victoria Infirmary in Newcastle.

She recently had her tenth surgery since she was diagnosed with a brain tumour in 2016 at the age of just three.

Lyla, now aged seven, has also come through meningitis, been treated for hydrocephalus and had a shunt put into her head, all in the last four years.

Dad Paul, who comes from Hartlepool, is determined to raise money for the RVI and plans to run 20 miles from his current home in Durham to the hospital on Monday, June 29.

Paul said: “This hospital ward is a specialist ward and the kids who stay here can spend months recovering so it’s important they have lots of things to keep them entertained.”

He will be joined on the journey by professional boxer Tommy Ward.

The money he raises will go towards buying new toys and games and Paul added: “We are quite lucky in that Lyla recovers quite quickly after operations but some people can be there for months.

“Imagine being on a ward for months if you are seven or eight years old.”

All money raised will help to buy everything from arts and craft equipment to gaming tables. Even if everyone gave just £1 each, it would make a huge difference, said Paul.

He admitted that he has not done any training for quite some time but he added: “I’ll do this because it means so much to me.”

Paul shared videos which showed determined Lyla managing to eat after one of her operations, and another showing her encouraging people to support her dad’s fundraising run.

To support Paul’s fundraising run themselves, people can donate at https://www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/run-for-lyla?utm_term=AM27dAK9W&fbclid=IwAR1-j2AqgMLZzGptXSAXuvXVKpHkO4u-Iqt0ERF2rhKcXd6336PWDcxYm-4

Paul added: “We can all help to make the kids stay in hospital that little bit better.”

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