Specialist hospital team reaches for the stars with new charity single

A specialist team at Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust is releasing a charity music single to raise funds for ongoing research and treatment of craniofacial conditions.

Oxford Craniofacial Unit Speech and Language Therapy team, based at the Children's Hospital, helps children with craniosynostosis and their families to communicate and develop their language skills. Craniosynostosis is a rare condition where a baby's skull doesn't grow properly and their head becomes an unusual shape.

The single, named 'Shooting Star', has been given a festive remix and is now available for download.

All profits from the single will go into Oxford Hospitals Charity Craniofacial Fund which helps fund research into the condition, and also make the hospital experience that little bit better for young craniofacial patients.

Based on a successful video filmed by the team, the song celebrates what makes children with craniosynostosis unique and promotes 'face equality'.  The song was written by music therapist Andy Stevens.

Sarah Kilcoyne, Principal Specialist Speech and Language Therapist in the Oxford Craniofacial Unit, said: "'Shooting Star' is all about telling children with craniofacial conditions that they can achieve anything they want to, and live healthy and happy lives.

"By releasing a charity single, we can raise extra money for the Craniofacial Unit and continue our world-class research and support. In our consultant plastic surgeon's lifetime, many of the children we see with rare syndromes wouldn't have survived. We're incredibly pleased this is no longer the case - our team is constantly developing and carrying out innovative treatments and surgeries.

"We want to remind people of the hope that our life-changing medical treatment can give. Our research and work depends on funding, and we really want to keep moving forward and giving our children and their families the biggest chance of living their best life."

Angie, whose child Zannah featured in the original 'Shooting Star' video, said: "Zannah loved every minute of being in the 'Shooting Star' video. It was wonderful for her to see children who were like her, and how those differences were celebrated, and how much fun they could all have together. She loves the song - she is up out of her seat dancing and she loves to hear it again and again!

"Thanks to the work of the Craniofacial Unit, Zannah is able to communicate well and express herself. I'd love for any parents who need this treatment to be able to have it - and the charity single is a great way of helping that along."

Visit the Oxford Hospitals Charity website to download the single from iTunes - all proceeds go to Oxford Craniofacial Unit.

Pictured: Daire Flanagan, one of our patients at the Craniofacial Unit