Rivan’s mum said: “We thank our lucky stars daily that you were able to save Rivan’s life. He is thriving in everything he is doing and should be doing in life at 3 years old. We could never put into words how thankful we are for the level of care Rivan received and how amazing Alder Hey is!” 💙

Now at 3 years old, Rivan is thriving and has grown into the happy, healthy little boy he was before his experience. He started preschool in 2025 and has been enjoying life with his sisters, Orla & Morgan.

Despite successful surgery, Rivan’s condition deteriorated & he ended up in our High Dependency Unit (HDU). After a course of antibiotics & recovery during the festive period, Rivan’s condition improved, and he was able to go home in time to celebrate his baby sister Orla’s first Christmas 🎄🎁

An ultrasound scan showed that Rivan had something called an empyema, which is where pus from a chest infection leaks into the gap between the lung and the chest wall. This can make children very unwell, so he was taken to surgery and underwent a chest drain.

Harry said: “At first it was scary, but being part of research is actually really fun! I am trying a new medicine that in the future, will help lots of children like me feel better. I feel like a scientist and a superhero!” 😄

#Research #AlderHeyResearch #KidneyResearch #CKD

"I have seen so many more positives taking the medicine over the injection. Not only in improving Harry’s health but I can also see a positive difference in his anxiety.”

Lauren said: “Before the trial, I had to inject him every Monday & he hated it. When Dr Jones put us forward for the research trial, I was a little nervous – I didn’t know what to expect. The research trial has been really positive for Harry."

Prior to starting the trial, Harry’s Mum, Lauren, had to inject Harry once a week to help manage the anaemia, which Harry would be worried and upset about. The research trial enabled Harry to swap the injection for a new medication, which Harry takes by mouth 3 times a week 💊

He's participating in a research trial, evaluating a new medicine for children diagnosed with chronic kidney disease & anaemia. The trial examines how effective the new medication is in treating anaemia in children with CKD.

Nova is now counting down the minutes until Father Christmas arrives and has asked for a basketball hoop and a piano! Have a magical Christmas Nova ✨

#HomeforChristmas #ChristmasAtAlderHey

Mum Nicola said “Whilst Nova was here she loved meeting the LFC women’s squad AND she won a star award for helping the play team tidy the play room for all the other children. The staff have been amazing with her.” 💙

The announcement comes alongside the publication of the latest NHS league tables – introduced by the Government to drive up standards and tackle variations in care – Alder Hey remains amongst the highest performing trusts in the country, ranking 10th nationally and in Segment 1.

Little Hearts at home was developed in collaboration with our cardiac team, community nurses and families themselves." Read more about Little Hearts at Home here 👉 t.co/flQ1TMipko

At Alder Hey Innovation, we believe that real breakthroughs in paediatric care comes when clinicians, families and technologists work together, listening to lived experiences and designing solutions that address real world challenges.

...their children home safety, whilst still managing the very managing their clinical safety. Connecting parent, community nurses and cardiac specialists through real time monitoring, we can detect early warning signs and intervene before emergencies arise.