All of the money raised will be donated to Tracheo-Oesophageal Fistula Support (TOFS) Charity.

A Peterborough mother is placing the ultimate leap of faith with her daughter after agreeing to allow her design her latest tattoo without her ever seeing it.

Donna Swift, from Yaxley, has come up with a unique fundraiser in which she has teamed up with Ink Imaginarium- based in Werrington- which will see owner and Hayley Evans work with Donna’s 12-year-old daughter Storm to design a tattoo her mother will only see after it has been inked onto her leg.

All of the money raised by the big event, which will be live streamed, will go towards raising awareness and supporting the work of TOFS Charity, who have supported Donna and her family after Strom was born with a rare generic condition.

placeholder image — Storm now and as a child.

12 years ago, after having an emergency C section, Donna was told that her daughter had been born three weeks premature and had TOFS/OA.

OA/TOF stands for Oesophageal Atresia (OA) and Tracheo-Oesophageal Fistula are rare congenital conditions of the oesophagus (food pipe) and/or trachea (airway) that affects one in every 3,500 people.

Oesophageal atresia (OA) is where the food pipe does not form correctly and is blocked. Babies with this condition are not able to swallow food or saliva.

Tracheo-oesophageal fistula (TOF) often occurs at the same time as OA and is when a tunnel of tissue called a fistula connects the food pipe to the windpipe. This means the contents of a person’s stomach can travel into their lungs and damage them.

Storm has had to overcome many challenges over the course of her life, including being hooked up to ventilators, medication, blood transfusions as well as bullying after she started school, but in the words of her mother, she is doing well and is out there enjoying living a normal life!

Donna said: “If children with these conditions can be brave enough to go through all of the hospital visits, the treatment and everything that goes with it, then I can be brave enough and get a tattoo without me knowing what it is.

“I don’t know whether I should be worried or scared but I’m just excited about it really! Storm knows me so well and I trust my tattoo artist...

“Before Storm was born, we were fully unaware of the conditions and when she was rushed off to Addenbrooke’s and we were told about her condition, we thought we were going to be alone with this.

"We didn’t know how to deal with it and what it entailed. We found TOFS online and they’ve been amazing. They’ve sent out leaflets, badges to warn people not to feed her because she is vulnerable to choking.

“The charity have helped us with every part of managing her condition, they have given us so much information. They were right there for us when Storm was two with a perforation and supported us through and kept my mind as ease every step of the way. We are proud to be part of this community.”

The event on February 4 will be live streamed by Ink Imaginarium.

To support Donna’s cause, you can donate at www.gofundme.com/f/blind-tattoo-leg-day.

To find out more about the conditions, you can visit https://tofs.org.uk/.