A young fundraiser has handed over his latest batch of special stoma bears to nursing staff at Grimsby Hospital.
Jax Batty, of Grimsby, has raised £20,000 since 2021 for charity, as well as donating toys and presents for patients at Grimsby hospital’s B3 and Rainforest wards. Some of the money has gone to the charity Buttony Bears charity. It gifts special bears to children having surgery to create a stoma. Each one comes with its own stoma bag.
It was a bit of a different visit to hospital this week though, as he was interviewed and filmed by the BBC. Journalist Lara King dropped in to speak to Jax and his mum Melanie Batty as he is finalist in the BBC Make a Difference Awards. Winners will be announced in September.
This is not the first time Jax has been in the limelight as he won Inspirational Young Person of the Year from the mayor of North East Lincolnshire earlier this year, and he travelled to a special ceremony in Westminster in 2022 for inspirational children.
Since birth, 10-year-old Jax has suffered a chronic bowel condition which has led him to having numerous hospital admissions and operations. He received an Antegrade Continence Enema (ACE) stoma in 2020. In November 2022, his condition meant he had to progress from his ACE procedure to having a further procedure to create an ileostomy.
His proud mum Melanie said: “He has been a regular on the Rainforest ward at Grimsby, as well as a regular visitor to the stoma team. He had a bear donated to him after his stoma surgery, and he decided he wanted to fundraise for more bears so other children could take the same comfort from receiving one.”
