BEAMING with pride — and showing no trace of the cleft palate she was born with —“perfect” Niamh Donohoe is one of the great reasons to take part in this year’s OX5 Run.

Nine-year-old Niamh, from Bicester, was born with a hole in the soft palate on the roof of her mouth and underwent surgery at the John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford.

Now her mother, Louise, is urging runners to take part in the OX5 run at Blenheim Palace, Woodstock, on March 20 to raise cash for Oxford Children’s Hospital, which is on the JR site.

The 36-year-old said: “We had no idea that there was anything wrong until about five hours after Niamh was born.

“She was then taken to the JR’s Special Care Baby Unit. It was a real shock.”

Niamh had been unable to feed and suffered a “blue episode”, where the skin turns blue because of a lack of oxygen in her blood.

Mrs Donohoe said: “We learned that Niamh had a cleft in the roof of her mouth. She could not suck, so milk had to be squeezed into her with a syringe.”

At six months old Niamh had a successful operation at the JR to repair the cleft. Since then she has had hearing tests, speech therapy and check-ups at the hospital.

Mrs Donohoe said: “It was a worrying time to start with, but we owe so much to both the SCBU team and also the Cleft Lip and Palate Association team at the JR, who gave us so much support and advice.”

She continued: “Niamh is now perfect, with no sign that she ever had a cleft palate. We are so grateful.”

Organisers of the run hope to break last year’s collection total of £57,000.

Mrs Donohoe said: “I wanted to get fit after Christmas and joined a gym. Then I decided to go for it and enter the OX5.

“I have never run five miles before but I am looking forward to taking part. Niamh and her sister, Aisling, will be cheering me on!”

Money raised from last year’s OX5 run was used to buy new medical equipment and upgrade facilities.

Details: www.orhcharitablefunds.nhs.uk or call 01865 743428.