80: The Hirschsprung’s Hour with Tom Richard - Episode 8080: The Hirschsprung’s Hour with Tom Richard - Episode 80
UK Health Radio Podcast
BAFTA-winning composer Paul Leonard-Morgan shares his daughter Zoe’s Hirschsprung’s diagnosis, surgery and difficult early years, alongside the joy of seeing her progress. The conversation mixes raw honesty about fear and parent guilt with humorous tales of kilt walks, charity challenges and gratitude to the hospital that treated her.
44:20•5 May 2026
Kilt Walks and Keyhole Scars: Composer Paul Leonard‑Morgan on Hirschsprung’s and Hope
Episode Overview
- Early specialist recognition of Hirschsprung’s can be life-saving, even when parents have never heard of the condition.
- Continence issues and accidents are common after Hirschsprung’s surgery and do not mean a child is lazy or failing.
- Connecting with others through Hirschsprung’s groups and events helps parents realise they are not alone in their struggles.
- Simple acts of gratitude, like sending messages or food to hospital staff, can acknowledge their crucial role in a family’s story.
- Creative, meaningful challenges such as annual kilt walks can raise awareness and turn trauma into an ongoing celebration of life.
“You’re always in life wanting someone just to go, ‘It’ll be okay.’”
What remarkable journeys have people faced head-on against addiction and serious health challenges? This chat on The Hirschsprung’s Hour shifts the focus to Hirschsprung’s disease, family resilience, and some very Scottish fundraising. Host Tom Richard speaks with BAFTA-winning composer Paul Leonard-Morgan about his daughter Zoe’s dramatic start in life. Born at home in Glasgow, Zoe was rushed to hospital at just three days old, where a rare on-call specialist recognised Hirschsprung’s disease and performed life-saving surgery.
Paul recalls being told there was a “60–40 chance” she’d survive and shares the raw panic of hearing terms like spina bifida and cerebral palsy without understanding what they meant. You’ll hear Paul talk candidly about the grim early treatments, including dilations with “big metal tools”, and the years of continence issues that followed.
He’s honest about the frustration of parenting a child who kept soiling herself while knowing it wasn’t her fault: “You start to lose it with her… and then you hate yourself for saying that.” There’s plenty of hope too. Paul describes the moment they realised Zoe had quietly gained control, the power of finding a Hirschsprung’s community online, and the comfort of seeing adults like actor Zoe Colletti openly owning the condition.
The episode also has a big-hearted, slightly bonkers side: Paul’s 13 years of kilt walks and endurance stunts, from 26 miles in soaking Glasgow to ultra-distance runs and cycles across Los Angeles, all to thank Glasgow Children’s Hospital and raise awareness of Hirschsprung’s. His “crazy Scotsman in a kilt” antics become an annual celebration of Zoe’s life and a tribute to his late friend Aidan.
If you’re parenting a medically complex child, living with Hirschsprung’s yourself, or just need proof that humour and gratitude can coexist with fear and trauma, this conversation might be exactly what you need today.
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