A BUSINESS analyst will brave the cold this February - to thank the hospital where she underwent major surgery.

Frankie Hewitson, when she was 10-years-old, was diagnosed with scoliosis, Arnold Chiari brain malformation and syringomyelia, another spinal condition.

Her high school years saw her undergo no fewer than five brain and spinal operations at Alder Hey Children’s Hospital in Liverpool.

And in recognition of the care and support offered to Frankie and her family during those traumatic times, she agreed to have her head shaved.

Colleagues at electrical giant AO in Bolton backed her and, alongside her employer’s charitable foundation, Smile, she has earned more than £3,109 for the hospital’s children’s charity.

Frankie, now 27, who lives in Colne, said: “When I was younger and having operations, I had to have parts of my hair shaved off and lost a lot of hair due to stress which was really hard to deal with at the time.

“Shaving all of my hair off felt like a great way to raise awareness and encourage people to donate to Alder Hey.

“I’m overwhelmed by how much support this fundraiser has had.

“It has been an amazing experience and I’m so grateful to everyone who has donated, shared my story, and most of all to my best friend who was brave enough to shave my head.”

Her original target was £1,500 but she surpassed that with ease and also benefitted from a £1,000 boost from the AO charitable foundation.

She still has a Just Giving page, where donations can be pledged online, at https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/frankiehewitson

In a post on her page, she added: “I owe so much to Alder Hey - lives are saved there every day and it’s thanks to the surgeons, nurses, physiotherapists and support staff at Alder Hey that I’m here today with a relatively straight spine and a slightly holey skull.”