Christmas came early for some at Alder Hey Children’s Hospital this year, as many families were able to make it home from hospital after long stays for treatment.
Every year staff try their best to make the hospital festive around Christmas, with plenty of decorations, special visits from Father Christmas and a choir singing.
But for the sick children and their families nothing quite beats making it home to be surrounded by loved ones.
The ECHO visited the hospital in the days running up to Christmas, to speak to some brave children and their families who will be making it home.
Watch the full video above.
Among them was Laura Kane and her son Blake, who has spent time in Alder Hey for a number of surgeries including two open heart surgeries.
This will be his first Christmas at home, after spending his first Christmas in the hospital.
Laura said: "He keeps fighting through and coming out stronger.
"When we were in hospital last year, you can only have a few people visit at a time and you don’t get to spend time with the family.
"[I’m most looking forward to] waking up, all of us under the same roof, being able to go downstairs and open presents together, just actually being together.
"I wasn’t allowed to stay over with him last year because he was in the neonatal section, so just being together as a family, I can’t wait."
Watch the full video with Laura, Kevin and Emily Owen, from Woolton and Emma Cross and Liberty Lamb, from Anfield, above.
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