Mark Masons Support Tate Pinckard’s Alder Hey Fundraising
 
Tate Pinckard’s journey in life started in 2019 when he was born a much-loved son to David and Katy Pinckard at Royal Preston Hospital.
Katie Storrie Alder Hey Community Fund Raising Assistant, Geoff Bury, Tate Pinckard,
Mike Pinckard, Peter Taaffe, Ian Nairn and Paul Broadley
Sadly, he was born with a life-threatening condition. Tate was a T.O.F. baby, which means that his Tracea and his Oesophagus were not correctly formed. This meant that he could breathe but not feed, and when he did breathe his stomach inflated.
 
Tate was rushed to Alder Hey where surgeons operated on him for 5 hours, moving his right lung outside his little body in order to repair his internal pipework.
 
The surgeons performed miraculous work to save Tate’s life. However, Tate remained very, very poorly.
 
After the operation, he remained in intensive care incubated and under sedation for nearly three weeks and further time on a ward recovering, where he was attended round the clock by dedicated and skilled nursing staff, who fed him through a nasogastric feed tube.
Katie Storrie Alder Hey Community Fund Raising Assistant, Geoff Bury, Katy Pinckard,
Tate Pinckard, David Pinckard and Mike Pinckard
David and Katy were accommodated at the hospital for the first several days, after which they and their family attended the hospital every day and were treated wonderfully by the supportive hospital staff. It was extremely stressful for them.
 
After he was discharged from hospital, Tate underwent many more procedures to carefully dilate his oesophagus, together with ongoing medication to aid his breathing and digestion.
 
Seven years on, Tate is a funny, strong, intelligent, healthy, vibrant boy, who loves to play football for Hesketh bank with his brother, and create mischief with his sister.
 
Tate’s story is just one of many instances of amazing, understated work that is done every day, of every year, by the doctors, nurses and staff of Alder Hey Children’s Hospital.
 
Therefore, his parents, his grandparents and family and friends regularly donate to the hospital from funds raised from and by themselves.
 
One of Tate’s Grandad’s, Mike, is an Assistant Provincial Grand Master of the Mark Province of West Lancashire. When some of Mike’s Masonic colleagues and friends heard Tate’s story they generously rallied to help him to raise money for Alder Hey.
 
The brethren of Newton Mark Lodge, together with personal donations from V.W.Bros Geoff Bury APGM, Ian Nairn and Peter Taaffe, Mike and Tate’s family, meant that Tate was able to present a cheque to the hospital for £750. The day was organised by W.Bro. Paul Broadley, the Provincial Grand Charity Steward.
 
Tate, David and Katy extend many, many thanks to all those brethren for their support and generosity.
 
Words and pictures Courtesy of Mike Pinckard