Dad's billboard thanks to Birmingham Children's Hospital staff Published duration 15 October 2018

media caption Khadijah died before her third birthday

A father has used city centre billboards to thank the hospital staff who cared for his daughter before her death.

Sunny Araf's daughter Khadijah had six operations for complex heart problems at Birmingham Children's Hospital.

Mr Araf, who is now a charity ambassador, said the compassion of staff had made "the worst time of our lives" a bit better.

Khadijah died from septic shock in May, shortly before her third birthday.

Mr Araf has used billboards in the city centre to help raise awareness and donations for the hospital.

He told the BBC: "The staff - the surgeons, nurses, cleaners - everybody in the hospital was so accommodating for us, we can't thank them enough."

image copyright Family handout image caption Mr Araf said Birmingham Children's Hospital did an "amazing job" caring for his daughter

During his wife Nida's pregnancy, the couple were told their unborn baby had a hole in her heart and other complications.

Khadijah was rushed to the paediatric intensive care unit after her birth and soon had the first of six operations, including one which lasted 11 hours.

The hospital "became our home" for most of Khadijah's life, according to Mr Araf.

image caption Mr Araf said he also wanted to create a national "thank you" day for the hospital, in honour of the work it did

She had been on the "road to recovery" at home when she developed an infection and died at the hospital.

Mr Araf described Khadijah as a lovable child who was "full of life" and "spoilt by everyone", including her three brothers.

He said he wants his daughter's legacy to be helping other children. Mr Araf has become an ambassador for the Little Hearts project run by the Muntada Aid charity.

image copyright Sunny Araf image caption Thank you messages are being displayed at sites in Birmingham including Grand Central and Broad Street