Our Every Heart Matters Appeal has hit its first milestone, thanks to a very kind legacy left to the charity we have reached over £100,000! Due to this generosity, we are now a fifth of the way towards our eventual target. We can’t thank our community enough for remembering us in their wills, and helping us to continue enhancing our patient’s care. It really does make all the difference.Recently at West Suffolk Hospital, legacies have also enabled the purchase of a group of new style hoists, which makes moving patients easier and safer for both patients and staff, a specialist chair which is able to pick patients up off the floor, a bladder scanner and a portable chest drainage system. For those of you who missed our launch edition we are trying to raise £500,000 to build a new diagnostic unit which will complete the state-of-the-art cardiac centre coming to West Suffolk Hospital.
This month we have had a very inspirational story from two sisters Katie and Lucy Mclernon. They completed the challenging Lakesman Triathlon. The duo swam for 2.4 miles, cycled 112 miles and ran a marathon all in under seventeen hours! They wanted to do something huge as last year their mum was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukaemia and was given a week to live if treatment wasn’t started immediately. Whilst undergoing treatment she contracted pneumonia due to her lack of immune system and later had a stroke. Against all the odds, she is now in remission and continuing to improve from her stroke, which is incredible. The sisters have raised a phenomenal amount and the money has been spent on our stoke unit to purchase some new state of the art fans, which will make a huge difference to our patients and their families.
The Greyhound Pub in Ixworth has raised an outstanding £4505.00 for our maternity services. The labour suite was able to purchase new baby cots which are specifically targeted at caesarean section mums. After surgery they have very restricted movement and can’t always pick baby up without help from a member of staff. These new cots come over the top of the bed, tilt and raise in height making everything much easier for our new mums. A very big thank you to landlord Colin, wife Sue and everyone who makes their quiz nights such a huge success!
Twenty two year old Natasha Bill took on a daring wing walk in memory of her dad Stephen. Sadly he lost his battle with cancer last year, but it was him who inspired Natasha to take on the challenge during a conversation whilst he was here in the hospital. Natasha has raised well over £5,000 for our Macmillan Unit where her father was cared for. The money is going to help pay for swimming lessons for patients both undergoing treatment and those in recovery, and to purchase reading books to help children understand their relatives’ cancer.
These are just a few of the incredible fundraisers we have had and we are so grateful for their support. If these stories inspire you to get fundraising and to take on a challenge of your own please contact My WiSH Charity by emailing fundraising@wsh.nhs.uk or telephone us on 01284 712952. You can also visit our website www.mywishcharity.co.uk for more information.
