Birthday girl Amarah gets VIP treatment in Sheffield hospital

She is on Ward 11 having spent much of her life in out of the hospital due to issues with her bowels.

Her mum Anisa says the hospital is ‘very much like home’ so she got together with staff to make her daughter’s big day as special as possible, with lots of cards, presents and decorations.

Anisa said: “The staff on Ward 1 are amazing! I can’t fault them one bit.

"Because we’ve been in and out so much it’s like coming home to our family, particularly over lockdown we were here for three months and it really felt like we were one big family.

"It’s a lovely thing because we feel so comfortable with everyone. I don’t leave her when I’m here, but if I did need to I know she’s in the best hands. The surgeons are amazing too, they know her so well and they put 100% into everything, they’re brilliant.”

Her most recent stay in hospital is because she has had a percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy feeding tube put in place to help her take in food and drink better.

She’s also had an ileostomy, which connected the last part of the small intestine to the abdominal wall. Previously she’s also had colostomy surgery. This diverts part of the bowel through an opening in the tummy, and connects the colon to the abdominal wall.

Amarah also has Down Syndrome and receives support from the Ryegate Centre with physiotherapist Julie and occupational therapist Rachel.