Meet Jessie, aged 10 from Cholsey, near Wallingford who has raised over £730 for the Oxford Children’s Hospital, by doing something rather unique... and we love it!

Earlier this year, Jessie decided that she wanted to fundraise for the Oxford Children’s Hospital by eating as many different combinations of foods as possible. 

Those of you who know Jessie will know she is a notoriously fussy eater which is what makes this fundraising even more of a challenge, but ever the good sport she has persevered inspired by her two-year-old brother Charlie.

Back in 2021, Charlie was diagnosed with Tethered Cord Syndrome, a rare disorder where the spinal cord is attached to the surrounding tissues of the spine. A few months later, Charlie underwent a 7-hour, life-changing operation at the Oxford Children’s Hospital, where mum Lauren praised the ‘incredible’ care that Charlie received.

She explains: “It’s really difficult to put into words how incredible staff at the Oxford Children’s Hospital are. They were with us every step of the way and cared for not just Charlie but the whole family.”

“I’ll never forget the moment that Jessie told us about her fundraising idea, to say thank you to the hospital for looking after Charlie – it was both genius and crazy at the same time but something we could all get on board with.”

“Over the last couple of weeks, she has eaten some truly awful combinations of food from apples dipped in mayonnaise, spam and even chilli crisps dipped in Nutella.”

Claire Hughes from Oxford Hospitals Charity adds: “Everyone at the charity is amazed at the lengths that Jessie has gone too to say thank you to the teams that looked after her little brother. Fundraising like this helps transform our hospitals, so we’d like to say a great big thank you to all those who’ve donated and supported this terrific fundraising.”

If you've been inspired by Jessie and would like to make a difference to thousands of patients treated at the Oxford Children's Hospital each year, please make a donation today.