Cherrelle Wharton will be running the London Marathon this Sunday to raise money for Evelina London Children’s Hospital after they saved her son’s life, writes Matt Pearce…
The hospital is the focus of Cherrelle’s fundraising, after they diagnosed her young son’s complicated illness and saved his life last year.
Evelina London, a part of Guy’s and St Thomas’, treated Cherrelle’s son August-James in October 2021.
August-James, also known as AJ, initially went to Lewisham Hospital A&E in September 2021, after he began suffering with a rash and a fever. Doctors suspected he had an infection, but could not locate it. After battling his illness on antibiotics at home for a few days, he was admitted into Lewisham Hospital.
AJ was in Lewisham Hospital for a week, where professionals were unsure what was making him unwell. His fevers were persistent, and his feet began to swell, making it difficult for him to walk. In October 2021, he was transferred to Evelina London Children’s Hospital.
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AJ, who is now 5 years old, spent 22 days at Evelina London in total, including 10 days in the paediatric intensive care unit. The doctors at Evelina diagnosed AJ with Hemophagocytic Lymphohistiocytosis – also known as HLH – a rare immune disorder where the body overreacts to an infection. The disorder causes severe inflammation and damage to tissues such as the liver, spleen, and bone marrow.
AJ is now back at school and can’t remember his time in hospital.
“We realised after he came out that he could have died,” said 36-year-old Cherrelle. “I would like to raise as much money as possible for Evelina London Children’s Hospital as a way to say thank you and to show my appreciation for everything they did for AJ and our family, and to ensure they can continue to help other families like ours in the future.”
You can donate to Cherrelle’s cause here: https://tcslondonmarathon.enthuse.com/pf/cherrelle-wharton-c3dd3