Young patients who attend the Allergy Clinic at Addenbrooke’s now have a colourful mural to look at while they wait.
The Allergy Clinic team wanted to brighten up the waiting area to help improve the overall experience for children and young people visiting and receiving treatment. Thanks to our supporters and with help from the hospital Arts team, ACT funds were used to commission local artist, Beverley Coraldean to create a mural.
The vibrant countryside themed artwork helps to create a warm and friendly atmosphere for patients and families to enjoy.
Click here to learn more about how your donations help to turn dull hospital spaces into more pleasant areas for patients and staff.
Often it’s the little things in life that can make a huge difference and this can also be the case when supporting patients and their families with a cancer diagnosis.
Head coverings for cancer patients
Patients who experience hair loss because of their cancer treatment, have been impacted by the cost of living crisis, often feeling the effects of low temperatures or lack of heating at home. To help with this, ACT have funded super soft head coverings which are provided by the Cancer Support Service team, free of charge to every patient who has an initial discussion with them about financial and hair loss support.
Patients have fed back to say the hats have given them confidence and taken a worry off their mind, and the softness if great on an area which can be quite sensitive.
Support for the whole family
When a parent or close family member is diagnosed with cancer, children can often encounter feelings of anxiety and worry. ACT have recently funded a range of books and toys to help children cope with their emotions. Worry Monsters allow children to write or draw their worries, place them into the monster who will âeat’ them and Worry Journals help them express their feelings through art therapy activities.
Thanks to your kindness and generosity, ACT are able to support projects that benefit patients and staff across Addenbrooke’s and the Rosie hospitals, helping to make them even better. If you would like to find out more about supporting patients with cancer and the building of the new Cambridge Cancer Research Hospital, please visit: www.cambridgecancer.org.uk/support
ACT were proud to support this year’s Cambridge University Hospital (CUH) Nursing and Midwifery awards 2023.
During a special awards ceremony held on International Nurses’ Day, nurses and midwives across both Addenbrooke’s and the Rosie Hospital were presented with awards for their excellence, kindness and patient safety.
Thanks to your kind donations, ACT were able to help fund parts of the ceremony including the trophies, through the Stronger Together program.
Kirsty and Martin Jenkins went through a roller coaster ride when their son, Albert, was born six weeks early and breech. Albert required support in NICU (Neonatal Intensive Care Unit), being monitored for his brain activity while fighting off infections and jaundice. He gradually moved through rooms at the hospital receiving further care for lack of movement in his arms and legs and monitoring of his head and brain development.
After a few weeks, Albert was finally well enough to go home and continued to receive care and support at the hospital during his first year.
Albert’s mum, Kirsty said: âThe emotional goodbye when we left the ward was felt by us all. We also owe a lot of thanks to the midwives, doctors and neuro team who were with us right from Albertâs birth to his being signed off from the hospital last year.â
Kirsty wanted the opportunity to give something back to the hospital and all the support the family were given, so she decided to embark on some fundraising.
Kirsty works as a teacher at Saffron Walden County High School, and for a fundraising event, Kirsty dressed up as âElevenâ from âStranger Thingsâ. She suggested that she could shave her hair for an additional element of fun and to raise more money for a charity of her choice.
She said: âMy choice was never in question as it was always going to be NICU, and I wanted to raise a minimum of ÂŁ1000. We raised that within a week!”
“If this money can go towards something in NICU to help other families and newborns be supported in the same way that we were, this would make us so happy.â
With support from her pupils, Kirsty went on to raise over ÂŁ2,600 for ACT. This amazing amount of money will help to make our hospitals even better! If you want to do something to thank the hospital visit www.act4addenbrookes.org.uk/fundraising/
On Sunday 23 April 2023, 14 amazing runners took part in the iconic TCS London Marathon in support of Addenbrooke’s and the Rosie hospitals.
After months of training and fundraising, this dedicated group of supporters, patients, family and friends all completed the 26.2 mile route around our capital and, have so far raised over ÂŁ22,000 for ACT. The money they raise will make a huge difference in making Addenbrooke’s and the Rosie Hospital even better!
#TeamAddenbrookes tell their story
Hayley
“My husband is on a heart programme at Addenbrookes due to a family heart history. In 2017, whilst undergoing a routine heart check, his consultant noticed something unusual on his CT scan. With further investigation they discovered he had a tumour close to the heart wall. Three weeks later, he underwent an urgent sternotomy operation and had the tumour removed. The focus and brilliance of both Addenbrookes and Papworth hospital staff saved his life â they are my real-life superheroes.
“If this incidental find hadnât been spotted, my family life could look very different today, and for this, I will always be so very grateful. The ongoing aftercare my husband receives in the Oncology department is outstanding.”
Charlie
“Our lovely Grumps passed away on February 14 2023, after being diagnosed just over a week earlier with advanced cancer of the brain, liver and spleen.
“The week that followed was very tough for family but mainly for our Grumps. The nurses at Addenbrookeâs were absolutely amazing and knowing that Grumps didnât have that long left, endeavoured to do everything they could to make his last days as comfortable as they could be.”
Charlotte
“Addenbrookes has featured heavily in our lives since 2015 when my husband, James, was diagnosed with incurable Medullary Thyroid Cancer. We have always experienced excellent care at Addenbrookes and due to the treatment he receives, he remains stable.”
Our amazing supporters were also joined by some hospital staff on the day. Lindsey Brecken, Specialist Gynecology Oncology Support Nurse, tells us why she ran in support of Addenbrooke’s Charitable Trust:
“I have seen the positive impact fundraising has in developing and improving the services our patients receive, including supportive psychological and emotional services of which I use regularly to support patients within my care.”
Well done to all our fantastic runners – we are so proud of each and every one of you! Thank you also to everyone who supported them and made a donation.
Thanks to the generosity of our supporters, Addenbrooke’s has become the first hospital in the world to offer a brand new body-worn device to Parkinson’s disease inpatients, significantly and quickly improving their movement.
The new CUE1 device, developed in Cambridge, is commonly worn on the sternum and delivers specialised patterns of vibrating and pulses, helping to improve the patients motor skills, walking parameters and reduces falls.
Addenbrooke’s Charitable Trust (ACT) is proud to have funded 10 of these life changing devices for the hospital, made possible by the donations and fundraising of our amazing supporters.
ACT Chief Executive, Shelly Thake, said: “We are extremely pleased to be able to support this trial and bring the hope of greater movement to Parkinson’s patients, and a reduction in falls. We wish all involved good luck with it.”
To find out more about the new device please visit the Addenbrooke’s website. If you would like to support ACT and help us to make our hospitals even better please visit the ACT website.
