Paul O’Grady’s Little Heroes – ITV

Paul, Conchita and Oliver Paul O’Grady’s Little Heroes

Conchita the dog gives our heroes extra TLC, and courageous Romeo leaves hospital for the first time in this week’s Paul O’Grady’s Little Heroes on ITV

The bravery of Great Ormond Street’s young patients and their parents is always deeply moving, but in this week’s Paul O'Grady’s Little Heroes on ITV, it’s particularly the case.

Paul meets 13-year-old Noah, who undergoes a tense operation to remove part of his skull, and seven-year-old Oliver, who has been at GOSH for weeks to receive treatment for his arthritis.

But can a walk with Paul and his cute dog Conchita (above with Oliver) help his recovery?

Paul also meets gorgeous eight-month-old Romeo and his incredible mum Donna, who have spent Romeo’s entire life at GOSH as he was admitted on the day he was born with a degenerative heart condition.

But now Donna is getting the chance to take her little boy home for the very first time.

Romeo in Paul O’Grady’s Little Heroes — Eight-month-old Romeo is finally going home in Paul O’Grady’s Little Heroes on ITV

‘Our heart chambers are left to right, but his are right to left, so his blue blood and his red blood don’t run the way they should and they mix,’ explains Donna.

‘We got to GOSH when Romeo was just two hours old and we have been here ever since with him.

‘He had his first operation when he was four days old and then he had to undergo a major operation at 12 weeks.’

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But despite fears for Romeo’s survival, even while Donna was pregnant with him, after eight months of treatment at GOSH, his condition has stabilised.

‘Romeo has defied the odds,’ says Donna.

‘Even when we thought we might lose him, Romeo has managed to survive.

‘He’s my miracle.’

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Cameras follow them as they wave a tearful but joyous goodbye to GOSH’s staff and finally get to leave hospital.

‘We are so grateful and I am chuffed,’ says Donna.

‘All the medication is quite hard-going, but every day is amazing.

‘I just love doing the mummy things, like taking him for a walk.

'To be out and free with him is such an amazing feeling.

'He has come a long way and he loves life.’

TV Times rating: ****

CATEGORIES

Caren has been a journalist specializing in TV for almost two decades and is a Senior Features Writer for TV Times, TV & Satellite Week and What’s On TV magazines and she also writes for What to Watch.

Over the years, she has spent many a day in a muddy field or an on-set catering bus chatting to numerous stars on location including the likes of Olivia Colman, David Tennant, Suranne Jones, Jamie Dornan, Dame Judi Dench and Sir Derek Jacobi as well as Hollywood actors such as Glenn Close and Kiefer Sutherland.

Caren will happily sit down and watch any kind of telly (well, maybe not sci-fi!), but she particularly loves period dramas like Call the Midwife, Downton Abbey and The Crown and she’s also a big fan of juicy crime thrillers from Line of Duty to Poirot.

In her spare time, Caren enjoys going to the cinema and theatre or curling up with a good book.