A TEENAGER recovering in hospital after her third operation in five months is looking forward to getting back on her feet.

Mollie Boyce, 15, from Appleford, near Didcot, is on the road to recovery at Oxford Children’s Hospital in Headington after surgery on her left foot last Tuesday.

The Didcot Girls’ School student also had surgery on her right foot on October 22 and keyhole surgery on her appendix on September 14 after being rushed into hospital with appendicitis.

She was born with claw and hammer toes, as well as Tailor’s Bunions and had to have reconstructive surgery on seven toes.

Mollie said: “Everyone is really friendly and I felt really comfortable. The nurses are always checking up on you to see you are okay.

“The surgeons all seem really good here and the hospital is really well equipped. I’m not sure what I would have done without it.”

Mollie, who is a keen triathlete and goes to Abingdon Triathlon Club, said she was looking forward to being able to run without it becoming too painful.

The teenager won’t be fit to make the start line for this year’s Ox5 Run, but called on others to take part in the biggest annual fundraiser for the Oxford Children’s Hospital.

Mollie added: “I always got worried about having to run.

“Swimming was fine but when it came to running there were days that it was really painful, so I’m really looking forward to getting back to sport.”

This year’s five-mile run in the grounds of Blenheim Palace is on Sunday, March 30, at 10.30am.

Children’s hospital spokesman Sarah Vaccari said: “We think that children like Mollie who spend time in hospital deserve to have the very best possible facilities and equipment to help them.

“The OX5 Run allows us go further than the standard NHS and buy state-of-the-art equipment that really makes a difference to the thousands of children we treat every year. Last year we raised nearly £100,000 and with your help we can do it all again in March.

“We are thrilled that 140 people have already signed up to take part, which is a cracking start, but we need Oxford Mail readers to help us by spreading the word and signing up.”

The OX5 Run, which is organised by the Oxford Mail and sponsored by recruitment firm Allen Associates, is now in its 12th year.

It has so far raised more than £500,000.

Last year’s run bought two open incubators for babies in the paediatric intensive care unit, and an ultrasound machine for minimally invasive surgery.

It also funded a 3-D pain distraction system, which calms and relaxes children during painful physiotherapy and rehab sessions.

And it paid for a pro-magnetic cell sorting machine to separate cells from the blood using a magnet.