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EXCLUSIVE: Pride of Britain hero sets up charity so no child is left alone in hospital

He's conquered 210 marathons, broke world records and raised a staggering 1million for charity, now Jamie McDonald has launched a children's charity to tackle loneliness in hospitals.

He's conquered 210 marathons, run 5,000 miles from the Atlantic to the Pacific coast and cycled 14,000 miles from Bangkok to Gloucester - raising a staggering 1million for charity through some of his extreme challenges.

Now superhero Jamie McDonald has launched a new charity, Ward Buddies, to make sure children in hospital don't feel alone. Jamie, 39, was born with syringomyelia, a rare spinal condition which saw him spend his first nine years in and out of hospital. He also had a debilitating immune deficiency, epilepsy and problems with his legs, causing his family to fear he may never walk.

But at the age of nine his symptoms eased. In 2012 he started his epic fundraising challenge when he cycled 14,000 miles home from Bangkok, on a second-hand bike he bought for just 50. Since then Jamie, from Gloucester, has completed a string of wild challenges including a 5,500 mile run across America in 2018, taking in 21 states and visiting 21 childrens hospitals. A year later he won a Mirror's Pride of Britain award for his fundraising.

[Jamie and patient]

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Jamie McDonald with a young patient(Image: Jamie McDonald)

He is also the world record holder for the longest time ever spent on a static bike, cycling 268 hours in more than eleven days and is the world record holder covering the most amount of miles on a treadmill in seven days, when he ran 524 miles - the equivalent of three marathons.

And now a married father-of-three, Jamie has launched Ward Buddies. The charitys specialised team will provide vital companionship and emotional support to young patients who find themselves alone on the ward. Volunteers will step in as a buddy when loved ones cant be by their bedside.

Jamie says: "You can be in hospital surrounded by so many people, but they can all feel like strangers. When I was in hospital my mum and dad never wanted to leave me alone, but they had jobs and my brother was at home.

Dad was a bricklayer and mum was a cleaner, they had to work so they could get paid at the end of the month to put food on the table, there was no choice, there was a financial hardship there.

"I remember the days when I was alone. This one nurse who put her hand on mine, that is what I needed. There is a gap to fill when parents cant be at the hospital. It can already be really difficult for young children to express their emotions and articulate how they're feeling. That feeling of abandonment is happening everywhere, its no one's fault - not the doctors or parents."

[Staff and Volunteers]

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Staff at Birmingham Children's Hospital with Ward Buddy volunteers(Image: Jamie McDonald)

According to a panel of medical experts advising Ward Buddies, one in 10 are left alone for at least one night. More than 10,000 wait seven or more long days for a single visit from someone they know. "Ward Buddies will bridge that gap," says Jamie. "It's about making sure care of the heart is treated alongside care of the body for children during recovery.

We now have 25 active volunteers. We piloted the scheme at Birmingham Children's Hospital for six months and I spoke to children who used the service, and it was so heart-warming to see their response. One child said to me, 'I wish time stopped so that I can play with ward buddies'.

"I'll soon be running another marathon with a break to sleep in a tent outside Birmingham Children's Hospital to highlight that so many people can walk past, it can be busy, but you can still feel alone.

We truly believe we can end this hidden crisis but it's a long road ahead, and well need the nation's help to get there. Every single donation, big or small, makes a huge difference. We now hope to raise enough money to roll-out the scheme in hospitals across the UK."

You can donate HERE. And the charity has launched a campaign video to raise more awareness.

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