I am a 12 yr old boy and I enjoy sport, I like football, golf and my favourite sport – Karate. When I was 9, in the summer of 2000, I started to get stiffness and pain in my left hip. In November 2000 I was diagnosed with Perthes disease at my local hospital in North East England. I didn’t really understand but they couldn’t help much. Over the months my pain got worse and I got a bad limp and by summer 2001 I couldn’t do any sport and had trouble walking to school. A lot of my friends didn’t call anymore because I couldn’t run and jump or play out. I got really upset about this. My pain got worse I used to wake up in the night with it. I was really frightened I would never be able to do sport again, I so much wanted to get my black belt in Karate. I was frightened I would have no friends if I couldn’t play out.
My Mam and Dad saw Mr O’Hara on television and my Dad rang and made an appointment to see him in Birmingham.
I went to Birmingham Children’s Hospital in Autumn 2001 with my Mam and Dad. I was a bit worried but I hoped Mr O’Hara could help. The Hospital was really nice compared to mine, with lots of new equipment. When I met Mr O’Hara he was clever and had a good sense of humour, which I liked. He sent me for a MRI scan that afternoon – I had not had one of these at home. Mr O’Hara said he needed to look at my hip while I was under anaesthetic and we were to have another appointment for this. I was impressed with the hospital and my Mam and Dad were pleased.
In October 2001 I returned to the hospital for my EUA I was admitted to Ward 5. All the nurses were really good and made me feel comfortable. The next morning I went for my examination and when I woke up my operation had been done.
I was in hospital for two weeks because I had a set back but Mr O’Hara fixed it. The ward was great, I liked all the staff – they helped me to get better. The physio terrorists were the worst (not really because we used to talk about Harry Potter). My Mam and Dad were allowed to stay with me and this helped a lot. I started to get better and went home. It was hard work but I started to get better.
It is nearly three years since my operation, my leg is fine, I can play football with my friends, play golf with my Dad and I do three karate training sessions per week. During 2003 I competed in the Children’s National Karate Championships, and Northern Region Championships and reached the quarterfinals in both competitions.
In November 2003 I won a local regional competition.
In February 2004 I achieved my black belt (1st Dan), the youngest at my club to do so.
I am going to compete in National competitions again this year.
If I had not received the operation, the support from Birmingham Children’s Hospital and from Mr O’Hara and his team, then I probably would not have been able to do these things. It’s a GREAT hospital with good Doctors and Nurses.
