Case studies

Mollie runs a mile to support our House in Oxford

“For us as parents the House was a lifesaver.” Vikki Chester-Walsh, mum to Mollie

When Vikki gave birth to Mollie, now aged six, they noticed that her skull was slightly larger than normal, but at the time were told this wasn’t anything to worry about. As Mollie grew, her head still appeared to be unusually large. It wasn’t until they took Mollie’s foster brother to a paediatrician that they realised Mollie had scaphocephaly. This meant she was at risk of suffering from intracranial pressure, which could lead to seizures, brain damage or even death.

Mollie was referred to the Craniofacial Unit at John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford (one of only three in the UK), which was three hours away from home in Nottinghamshire. After an initial scan in October 2009, they were told that going forward there was a 65% chance that intracranial pressure on Mollie’s skull would cause serious health problems. They suggested complicated surgery that would involve removing parts of the skull and reattaching them together. Mollie had to go for several appointments at the hospital so the family stayed at the Ronald McDonald House in Oxford each time, and stayed there for longer when they decided to go ahead with the operation. In May 2010 Mollie had her operation.

Mollie came through this operation and made a miraculous recovery. Eight weeks after her surgery, Mollie decided she wanted to run a mile to raise money for both RMH Oxford and John Radcliffe Children’s Hospital. Mollie is now doing really well and is a happy and healthy little girl.