Kirsty Howard

Kirsty Ellen Howard(20 September 1995 – 24 October 2015) was a British woman, most notable for her charity work.

Howard was the figurehead of Kirsty's Appeal, a charitable foundation in her name, created to raise £5 million for Francis House, Didsbury, Manchester, the hospice where she received care. Howard took part in numerous fundraising efforts, which gained national support and attention.At the time of her death, she had raised over £7.5 million for the hospice.

Birth and illness

Kirsty Howard was born on 20 September 1995 in Wythenshawe, Manchester to Lynn and Steve Howard. She also had two elder sisters named Zoe and Kim.

Howard had an exceptionally rare condition in which her heart was back to front, causing the misplacement of her internal organs. The condition, a form of situs ambiguus, is inoperable, and requires extensive treatment, including a constant oxygen supply. Howard was the only person in the UK, and only the second in the world, diagnosed with this condition. In February 1999, at the age of four years, she was given only six weeks to live but defied the odds.