Cathedral bells launch cancer care fund appeal

TREATMENTS

THE bells at Leicester Cathedral have been rung in honour of people across Leicestershire and Rutland living with cancer and to mark the launch of Leicester Hospitals Charity’s Chemotherapy Suite Christmas Appeal.

Canon Emma Davies and chemotherapy suite nurse Rachael Purves rang the bells to symbolise the end-oftreatment bell patients ring upon completion of their chemotherapy programe at the Osborne Building at Leicester Royal Infirmary.

Leicester Hospitals Charity is raising £600,000 over the coming year to provide six chemotherapy treatment chairs and to transform an unused balcony into a treatment area

The charity’s Christmas Appeal is hoping to raise £5,000 – enough for one of the chairs.

Jon Wright, 53, of Hinckley, is one of the patients making regular visits to the Chemotherapy Suite.

“After Christmas last year, I had the heartbreak of telling my sons that, in my early 50s, I have terminal lung cancer,” he said.

“I told them the doctors will try to keep me alive for as long as possible.

“It was the hardest moment of my life and I wouldn’t wish it on anyone. I had to admit to my boys I would not live to see them grow up and reach important milestones.

“Every three weeks I have treatment at the chemotherapy suite to boost my immune system.

“I use one of those chairs, but there are not enough of them for everyone. Waiting times are long and Covid has only made this worse.

“With your support, Leicester Hospitals Charity will help to allow an extra six patients to receive treatment at any one time.

“It may not sound a lot, but it will mean that more patients like me will have a chance to live longer, or, unlike me, have a chance to ring that bell.”

Jon’s consultant, Professor Samreen

Ahmed, said: “What we need urgently is more chairs to treat more patients and save more lives.

“Please, if you can, make a gift to Leicester Hospitals Charity this Christmas to secure a new chair for the chemotherapy suite.

“We look forward to more bells being rung, directly as a result of the generosity of people across our community.”

Canon Emma Davies said it was an honour to ring the Cathedral bells in support of the appeal.

“I hope that our bells will sound a note of hope for people living with cancer and their families across this city and county, and that many people will be helped through the money which will be raised,” she said.

Last year, 7,600 people were diagnosed with cancer in Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland.

The Chemotherapy Suite at the Osborne Building has been in operation for over 20 years.

Over the past two decades, many new cancer treatments have been developed and delivered through immunotherapy and chemotherapy.

While this has been excellent news for cancer patients, the hospitals trust said this means Leicester Royal Infirmary does not have the space to treat the number of patients in a timely manner.

The success of the Chemotherapy Suite Appeal would allow almost 4,000 more treatments to be given each year and reduce waiting times.

Anyone wanting to make a gift to Leicester Hospitals Charity’s Chemotherapy Suite Christmas Appeal can do so now by calling 0116 258 8709 or at:

£600,000 GOAL TO AID HOSPITAL CHEMOTHERAPY

I hope that our bells will sound a note of hope for people living with cancer

Canon Emma Davies