9-year-old does 22,000 ‘steps’ in wheelchair

Nine- year-old Matilda Booth has been cared for at Leeds Children’s Hospital since she was born in September 2011.

This summer, she decided she wanted to give something back to the staff who look after her. Despite being paralysed from the chest down, Matilda was determined to join in Leeds Hospitals Charity’s latest challenge, Step For Your NHS, and reach her step target in her wheelchair.

Matilda also wanted to do the challenge in memory of her big sister Daisy, who passed away at just 19-years-old in August 2017. Daisy had also been cared for at Leeds Children’s Hospital her whole life and was well-loved by many of the staff who also care for Matilda.

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On the bank holiday weekend in August, Matilda completed her Step For Your NHS challenge, ahead of her 10th birthday. She clocked up an amazing 22,000 “steps” and raised £900 for Leeds Hospitals Charity.

She then donated £105 of her own birthday money, so her total was £1,000. 

‘Anything is possible’

Matilda’s mum Sharon said: “When we saw the Facebook post about Step For Your NHS immediately Matilda asked if she could do it, but then realised she couldn’t do “steps” as she cannot walk. I told her anything is possible and of course she could still take part by doing her steps in her wheelchair and clock them up on her fit bit!”

In pregnancy, Sharon was told that Matilda had Spina Bifida, meaning her spine had not developed properly in the womb and hydrocephalus, a build up of fluid in the brain.

At just one day old, Matilda had a life-changing operation to close her spine and place a shunt into her brain and was cared for on the neonatal unit for eight weeks until she could finally return home with her family.

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Since then, Matilda has had over 50 operations in her short life, the majority performed at Leeds Children’s Hospital, around 25 miles away from the family’s home in Ripponden, near Halifax.

Leeds Hospitals Charity is the charity for Leeds Teaching Hospitals. It supports NHS staff to deliver the best care for patients and their families, by raising funds for equipment, services, education and research. Find out more.