Effy’s Story

‘Shortly after our daughter Effy was born in Treliske Hospital, Cornwall, she was diagnosed with a condition called oesophageal atresia. This meant her oesophagus wasn’t connected to her stomach and she’d need surgery to connect them together. She also had joins between her oesophagus and windpipe and needed surgery to separate them.

Effy in hospital

We were told that if her internal organs had not developed enough, we faced a four-month stint in hospital waiting for her to grow before surgery could take place. Our little 5lb 5-ounce trooper was transferred by ambulance to St Michael’s children’s hospital in Bristol, three hours from our home.

As a full-time self-employed builder and hairdresser, we saved money to enjoy some time off with our baby before rushing back to work… but we hadn’t anticipated staying in hospital confinement or leaving her bedside to buy reduced food to eat in shared accommodation or sitting in the hospital cafe while our daughter was in surgery, all in the middle of the pandemic.

We were not entitled to any grants until we found Evie’s Gift. They awarded food and travel grants that meant we could now eat in the hospital, which meant being able to spend more time by our daughter’s side without having to worry about where the money would come from. Our grant covered every meal we ate during the time our daughter was poorly, and for that we are forever grateful.

Effy at four months

Effy had life-saving surgery at three days old. We were out of hospital within eighteen days and consider ourselves very lucky. Evie’s Gift played a massive part in helping relieve stress. You allowed us to stop worrying about money and focus on our daughter. Thank you, thank you, thank you.’

Amy Floyd-Norris (Effy’s mum)

Effy on her first birthday