British actress Fay Ripley is backing the St Mary's Hospital More Smiles Appeal, led by Imperial College Healthcare Charity and COSMIC, which aims to raise at least £2m towards a £10m project to create a bigger, state-of-the-art Children's Intensive Care Unit.

Ripley, whose niece was treated at St Mary’s Children's Intensive Care Unit, said 'My niece is a fit, healthy, bright and beautiful teenager. However without the extraordinary care she received a few years ago at the Children's Intensive Care Unit at St Mary's Hospital her story may well have ended differently. I am so grateful for hers and all of the happy endings to come out of the unit'. Kate, Duchess of Cambridge has also voiced her support for the appeal.