A young boy who was born with a rare condition has already had over a dozen operations.
Lewis Connett was born with Apert Syndrome, a rare genetic condition that affects one in 65,000 newborns. It can cause premature closure of the bones in the skull as well as fusion of the fingers and toes.
Mum Donna, from Yorkshire, said her son was transferred to Alder Hey when he was just a few weeks old and has been under their care ever since. Now aged 10, Lewis has already undergone around 18 major surgeries, the first being when he was five months old.
READ MORE: Matalan Alder Hey pyjamas released for Christmas 2023
READ MORE: Celebrating the Matalan Alder Hey campaign as new pyjamas launch
She said: "Alder Hey is a wonderful place. They are all so caring and so kind. He's had a lot of surgeries and will have lots more to come, but everyone always puts us at ease."
Alder Hey is one of only four hospitals in England and Wales that has the infrastructure, expertise and experience to treat Apert
Syndrome. Thanks to the staff and care he has received, Donna said Lewis is not defined by his condition and is in a mainstream school and loves to play cricket and football.
Wanting to give back, the family have raised over £60,000 for the hospital as Donna said: "They've always been there for us, offering a listening ear. From the person in the café to the person who carries out the operations, they are incredible."
This week the 2023 Matalan Alder Hey pyjamas have been released. For ten years Matalan has released a pyjama collection to raise money for Liverpool’s Alder Hey Children’s Charity.
The campaign is hugely popular, with many shoppers buying multiple pairs for the whole family to wear in the run-up to the festive season. And this year's designs have been shared.
To mark 10 years of the campaign, the Connett family were invited to take part in a special VIP event ahead of the 2023 pyjama release. This year's design has focused on incorporating all designs over the last 10 years and brought families back to model them.
This year's pyjamas are available in adult sizes, children's sizes as well as a baby grow and a pet outfit. To commemorate the 10-year anniversary, a brand new Snuggle Hoodie will also be available online for adults and children.
Donna added: "Every year, the pyjamas are fantastic and it was amazing to be invited back. Lewis modelled the pyjama campaign when he was just a baby so won't remember but this time it was wonderful to see.
"It's a campaign that keeps Alder Hey in the limelight, now more than anything charities need more help than ever so it's a great way of supporting that as well as involving all the family."
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