The bears will raise vital funds for Sheffield Children’s where it is need most which is currently to transform the Cancer and Leukaemia ward for patients like Myla.
The department treats children from babies through to 19-year olds, in South Yorkshire, Lincolnshire, Derbyshire and as far south as Northampton. One of twenty principle treatment centres in the UK, we care for children with cancer and Leukaemia as well as patients who have other blood problems such as bleeding and inherited disorders.
Children are still receiving treatment on our ward in facilities which could be better. The care and attention from the doctors and nurses is second to none, but the facilities for the young patients do not match the quality of their treatment.
This is important because treatment often takes long periods of time. Around 25 bone marrow transplant patients are treated on our ward every year, staying for six to eight weeks at a time in isolation. Even patients who require routine chemotherapy can stay for up to five days before going home, while sometimes other children may need care for over a year.
For many of our families home is wherever their child is, together we can create a new home which caters for all ages and will help some of our most vulnerable children in our society.
Our vision for a brighter future
Together, we can create a new home from home for our patients, with space, privacy and natural light to make isolation a place of sanctuary and calm.
Single bedrooms
With your help, we can build single patient rooms with en-suite facilities, giving patients a place to make their own, with room for all their toys and space for a parent to sleep comfortably alongside them.
Bring the outdoors in during isolation
The new design would see more patients benefit from the welcoming views over Weston Park, with larger bed bays and more isolation rooms. Increasing the ward footprint would also expand the space for children to play and more than double the size of the ward classroom.
Classroom, playroom and adolescents room with breakout space
Some of our patients who stay on this ward can be with us for months at a time. Being able to go to a classroom or play in a playroom gives them some normality and could help them not fall behind in their school work. We all might think we would love not to go to school but a distraction away from treatment will help a child have a better day. The development will bring the classroom and playroom onto the ward with more space and up to date facilities as well as a space specifically for our young adults.
