2022 Winner
LOTTIE FRASCINA
Brave teen who raised thousands of pounds for the hospital that saved her life with moving TikTok videos.
Teenager Lottie was rushed to Birmingham Children’s Hospital after a sinus infection spread to her brain, causing five potentially deadly cerebral abscesses on her frontal lobe.
Surgeons carried out a craniotomy, removing part of her skull so they could drain the abscesses in a delicate, eight-hour operation. Just three weeks into her recovery, doctors warned she might need another operation.
That’s when Lottie came up with the idea of a TikTok fundraising challenge – to raise money for the hospital and distract her from the prospect of the surgery to come. She pledged to post a video to the platform every day, and within hours of her first post had raised more than £1,000.
As Lottie, from Wixford, Alcester, explains: “The thought of another operation was really scary, so making and sharing my TikTok videos helped keep my mind off it.”
Thankfully, Lottie recovered without the need for more surgery, but she carried on making daily videos every day until she was discharged. The uplifting films form a remarkable diary; charting her progress from ill in bed to dancing around the ward.
She says: “I was really proud to get to £1,000, but I couldn’t believe it when people kept giving and so far I’ve raised over £37,000. I really hope it will make a difference for other children in the hospital.”
Now she’s hoping to raise a whopping £250,000 with music-themed events to fund new equipment for neurosurgery patients.
Mum Sarah, 39, adds: “It’s hard to put into words just how incredibly proud the whole family is of Lottie and her fierce determination. She just takes everything in her stride.” Miranda Williams, Head of Public Fundraising at the hospital, said: “To think she managed to raise such a substantial amount of money for our charity during what must have been a terribly frightening time for her and her family is truly inspirational.
“We’re blown away by her ingenuity. Lottie has shown that everything you need to fundraise is right at your fingertips, the funds she’s raised so far will go on to help us make sure we can continue providing the best care and experiences for the thousands of sick kids we treat every year.”