Nine-year-old Joseph from Oldham has set his sights on an incredible challenge, swimming 8 kilometres this October to raise money for Great Ormond Street Hospital (GOSH), the place he says, “gave him his life back.”
Despite living with multiple serious health conditions, including severe asthma, kidney problems, and bowel issues, Joseph has already swum 6 kilometres and raised over £400, surpassing his original £250 goal.
Joseph, who has been home educated all his life due to a compromised immune system, was unable to start school in 2020. But that hasn’t stopped him from dreaming big. After a life-changing operation at GOSH three years ago, Joseph now lives with a stoma, which he affectionately calls “Superstar.”
“Before I got Superstar, I was in pain every day,” Joseph explains. “Getting my stoma was the best thing that happened to me.”
A stoma is an opening on the abdomen, connected to either your digestive or urinary system to allow faeces or urine to be diverted out of your body into a bag. A stoma looks like a small, oval-shaped piece of flesh, but everyone’s is different in size and shape. It can lie flat on your body or protrude out. It does not have nerve endings, so it does not hurt or have any sensations when touched.
Joseph’s stoma, an ileostomy, where the end of the small intestine is attached to the abdomen while the large intestine “has a sleep” as Joseph told me, hasn’t held him back one bit. In fact, he’s proud of it. He loves customising his white stoma bags with colourful drawings and proudly shows off where his stoma is using his biology books.
Joseph and his Buttony Bear on Stoma Awareness Day earlier this month.
His mum, Sarah, couldn’t be prouder: “He’s had so many operations and still keeps smiling. Great Ormond Street have done so much for him, and he’s determined to give something back.”
Joseph’s dream doesn’t stop at fundraising; he’s already planning for the future.
“I want to be a stoma surgeon when I grow up,” he says, grinning. “And I want to have a fruit stall in the hospital so families can get something healthy to eat.”
The idea for the fruit stall came from their trips to Manchester. Joseph noticed that at Great Ormond Street, food options are limited especially later in the day.
“He said they should have a fruit stall for parents and children,” Sarah explains. “So, he’s hoping his fundraising will help make that happen better food, better toys, and more playworkers for children who have to stay in hospital.”
The staff at Tameside Wellness Centre, where Joseph has been completing his swim, have been cheering him on every step of the way.
“The receptionists and lifeguards have been amazing,” says Sarah. “They always encourage him, make sure he’s okay when he needs to stop for his inhaler, and celebrate every milestone. It’s given him such a confidence boost.”
Joseph adds with a shy smile: “They even let me swim for free sometimes. They cheer me on and help me keep going.”
Whether swimming, fundraising, or designing his stoma bags, Joseph’s positivity shines through. He’s already inspired countless people across Oldham, Tameside and beyond with his determination and optimism.
“Having a stoma doesn’t stop me doing anything really,” Joseph says proudly.
If you’d like to support Joseph’s fundraising for Great Ormond Street Hospital you can do so here: https://fundraise.gosh.org/fundraisers/sarahyates28460/swim-8km-october-25
Joseph and Superstar ready to do some lengths.
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