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Girl honoured after raising £215k for Birmingham hospital

A girl who suffered severe burns as a baby and raised £215,000 for a hospital that treated her has been honored at the Pride of Birmingham Awards.

Eight-year-old Elizabeth has had more than 70 surgeries after her crib was set on fire when she was six months old.

Last summer she ran a mile every day for 26 days to raise money.

An off-duty police officer who attacked a knifeman was among those recognized, along with a mother who is campaigning for kits to help stabbing victims.

In memory of her son, Lynne Baird, 65, founded the Daniel Baird Foundation, which is pushing to make potentially life-saving blood collection kits accessible.

Mr Baird, 26, died when a dispute erupted between two groups of men outside a pub in the city in 2017. His mother, who was made an MBE, received a special recognition award Monday night.

And PC Mat Evans, 42, who has been with West Midlands Police for 22 years, attacked a knifeman who stabbed an NHS worker outside the Royal London Hospital in Whitechapel.

Elizabeth walked a mile each day to raise funds for Birmingham Children’s Hospital despite having limited mobility.

She raised £215,000, including £160,000 for a laser machine that softens tissue and relieves tightness around severe scars from burns and other forms of injury and trauma.

Elizabeth, whose crib caught fire due to a faulty air conditioner, was “an incredibly enthusiastic kid,” said father Liam.

He added, “She never complains, she just goes ahead and does it, always has a smile on her face.”

Birmingham-born lawyer Nazir Afzal, who became the UK’s first Muslim chief prosecutor, was presented with a lifetime achievement award on Monday.

The former chief prosecutor for North West England “has been at the forefront of a number of challenging and landmark cases, including the first prosecution for honor killings and modern slavery,” Pride of Britain said.

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