Charity donates £30K to help cancer patients

The Leicester Hospitals’ radiotherapy department will benefit from a bladder scanner, patient immobilisation plates, Kyphotic support cushions, a thermoplastic oven with a trolley and an MRI headboard from the money provided by The Emma Shaw Foundation.

The items will support patients’ positioning for comfort and improve the accuracy of the radiotherapy treatment, helping to reduce appointment times.

Suzanne Jordan, head of radiology at Leicester’s Hospitals said: “We are incredibly grateful to Emma Shaw Foundation for their donation.

"This equipment allows us to improve the quality of care for cancer patients by improving accuracy, providing comfort, and reducing the time taken to deliver treatment.

"This reduces the length of appointment times, which means we can treat more cancer patients from the community.”

The Emma Shaw Foundation was established in memory of Emma Shaw, who was diagnosed with Triple Negative breast cancer along with two other types of breast cancer in 2017.

Triple-negative breast cancer is the most aggressive form, affecting 15 to 20 per cent of women diagnosed with breast cancer, particularly those under 40.

After receiving various treatments in the UK and Germany, Emma sadly passed away in August 2019 at the age of 41.

Emma was a compassionate and caring individual who, despite her own battle with cancer, sought to support and advise other sufferers.

Her family and friends created the Foundation to fulfil her dream of making a difference in the lives of cancer patients.

Emma’s dad John Tuddenham who runs the foundation said: "Emma wanted to make a difference.

"She set up a fundraising page before she passed away to support her treatment and wanted any money remaining to help those fighting cancer.

"We set up the Foundation in memory of Emma and we have, and we will continue to raise funds to support more patients.

"With this contribution, we hope to carry forward her legacy by helping those who are undergoing similar challenges and procedures."

Sunita Patel, head of charity at Leicester Hospitals Charity, said: "The foundation’s support as a local charity is inspiring and we value the opportunity to work in partnership with them to continue to raise vital funds for cancer services within Leicester’s Hospitals.”