Bay fell suddenly and unexpectedly ill when she was two years old, with a blood test revealing worryingly elevated levels of potassium leading to a sudden deterioration in her health and the discovery that Bay’s kidneys were failing.
Things moved very quickly with Bay being transferred immediately by ambulance from her local hospital to Great Ormond Street Hospital (GOSH).
Mum, Jen said, “When ‘kidney failure’ was mentioned, my world collapsed. Bay was intubated as soon as we got to GOSH and I was told she wouldn’t survive the night. We had a fight on our hands from that minute, and Bay spent the next 2-3 weeks intubated whilst they stabilised her. It was a terrifying time as we didn’t know if Bay would survive, but after some complications and a month or so, she was moved out of intensive care to the renal ward at GOSH so we could start dialysis.
“Both myself and Bay’s Auntie learnt how to manage the dialysis so we could eventually go home and treat from there. After three months, we were back at home adjusting to our new life, with Bay on dialysis every night for between 12-18 hours every day. This lasted for three years.”
Spread a Smile first met Bay and her family early on in her journey when Bay was just two years old and an inpatient at GOSH.
“I’d taken Bay down to Coram’s Fields to play and we noticed that Spread a Smile had a party going on. Debbie from the team approached us and invited us to join in the fun and it was absolutely mesmerising. We were showered with love and support from the start and Debbie really took us under her wing, looking after us the whole time. She took our details after that and so our lovely relationship with Spread a Smile began.
“We would see the Spread a Smile entertainers as much as possible whenever we were in hospital and I couldn’t imagine life there without them there. Being in hospital can feel pretty bleak when you have a young child who isn’t allowed out of their room, let alone off the ward. You exhaust all the play options pretty quickly and it becomes harder to keep them entertained. But when Spread a Smile walk in, they inject happiness, optimism and fun straight away. The team got to know her and what she likes, distracting her from what’s going on medically and her spirits are lifted. They became like a reassuring blanket for Bay and even after 7 years, her face still lights up whenever she seems them.
“One year we went to the Spread a Smile Winter Party and Bay’s cousins came as well and we were all wonderfully spoilt. It’s so nice for Bay to do things with her family after all the trauma and to have the opportunity to have so much fun together.
“The last 7 years have been really challenging at times, but when I think back, I can think of Spread a Smile in amongst it all and it’s nothing short of wonderful. For me, they bring familiarity, friendship, love and the sense of normality from just being able to watch your child play. You forget you’re in hospital when Spread a Smile are around and I can have five minutes to breath as I trust them and know she is safe and entertained with them. When Bay is happy, Mummy is happy!”
In August 2021, Bay underwent a kidney transplant and although the operation went well, there were complications which meant Bay spent another four months back in hospital, starting in intensive care.
“That was a tough time and once we were home it took a while to rehabilitate Bay. She’d become frightened of something bad happening, but Spread a Smile were there the whole time, offering support and distraction. Bay took part in virtual sessions with their entertainers and also loved it when they visited her in hospital. She does art sessions online and got to know her friend Aditi. They love meeting online to talk about what they are going to do.”
In December 2024, Bay was diagnosed with post-transplant lymphoproliferative disorder (PTLD), a serious complication that can arise after organ transplantation. Bay started chemotherapy and immunotherapy straight away with initial concerns as to the prognosis due to her fragile cell count and kidney transplant.
“We went to a Spread a Smile LEGO event, and I found a shoulder to cry on in Ellie. I just poured my heart out to her as I couldn’t believe we were in that situation and having to go through even more heartache. And once again, Spread a Smile was there for us when we needed someone. Fortunately, the situation changed and Bay was able to switch onto blocks of aggressive chemotherapy.
“Bay has finished chemotherapy now and in November 2025, we found out that she is in complete metabolic remission and she rang the end of treatment bell at GOSH. We will still have lots of follow ups and checks, but we’ve come out the other side of the kidney transplant and she’s doing really well. And Spread a Smile are still there for us, with Bay doing 1-2-1 virtual art sessions which she loves, along with music and magic shows. Spread a Smile really are wonderful. A familiar, warm wonderful and I don’t know what we’d do without them.”
Please help ensure we can continue to support children and young people like Bay and their families by donating today. Thank you.