Pride of Birmingham Awards 2022: Teenager of Courage Lottie Frascina

Lottie was rushed to Birmingham Children's Hospital after a sinus infection spread to her brain, causing five cerebral abscesses on her frontal lobe. Surgeons carried out a craniotomy, removing part of her skull so they could drain the abcesses in a delicate eight-hour operation. She initially recovered well, but three weeks into her recovery in hospital, doctors warned she may need another operation. That was when Lottie began her TikTok fundraising challenge to distract her from the prospect of more surgery. She pledged to post a video to the platform every day, and within hours of her first post, she had raised more than £1,000 for the hospital’s charity. Lottie, from Stratford-on-Avon, said: “The thought of another operation was really scary, so making and sharing my TikTok videos helped keep my mind off it.” Thankfully, Lottie recovered without the need for more surgery, but she kept making her videos every day until she could go home. The uplifting series of films show her progress from her hospital bed to dancing around the ward. She said: “I was really proud to get to £1,000, but I couldn’t believe it when people kept giving and I eventually raised over £14,000. I really hope it will make a difference for other children in the hospital.” Miranda Williams from the hospital, said: “To think she managed to raise such a substantial amount of money for our charity during what must have been a terribly frightening time for her and her family is truly inspirational.”