When baby Harry became suddenly and critically unwell earlier this year, his loved ones faced every family’s worst fear. Born at 24 weeks, Harry had already overcome a long and difficult stay in neonatal intensive care. After a few precious months at home, his breathing worsened, and he was taken to his local hospital. From there, he was transferred to the Leicester Royal Infirmary for specialist review.
In the hours that followed, Harry’s condition deteriorated quickly. He was admitted to the high dependency unit in the early hours of the morning and later went into respiratory arrest. He was intubated and moved to the children’s intensive care unit for urgent treatment.
Amid the panic and uncertainty, Harry’s family met Peadiatric Ear, Nose and Throat (ENT) Consultant Chilaf Peled. From the very beginning, his calm, steady approach made a profound difference. He helped guide the complex medical decisions needed to stabilise Harry, while always keeping the family at the centre of every step in his care.
Harry’s mum, Eleanor, said that what stood out most was the way Chilaf communicated. “He explained each choice clearly, included us in all discussions, and showed kindness throughout. He treats you as an equal.” she said. “Even though he sees so many patients, he made us feel as though Harry was the only one. He is grounded, compassionate, and makes everything easy to understand.”
She also praised the wider paediatric ENT team for their support, describing them as “an example of the NHS at its very best”. The family continue to attend follow-up care and say they still feel “completely and utterly taken care of” every time they return.
Eleanor shared that, in a challenging time for the NHS, the professionalism, expertise, and humanity shown by Chilaf and the team reminded her of “exactly what the NHS is about”.
Her heartfelt words were later submitted as a nomination, leading to Chilaf receiving a BEE Award in recognition of the exceptional care he provided.