We launched our Love Your Nodes appeal back in 2016 with the aim to raise £25,000 to purchase a SentiMag machine . 

Just six months after our launch we were thrilled to announce that we had reached our target. The Sentimag machine is now in our theatres and helping patients on a weekly basis.

The appeal hasn't, however, ended there. Each vial of beads costs £200 so we are continuing to fundraise to ensure the cost of these are covered to help all the future patients at West Suffolk Hospital.

Each year up to 250 people have breast cancer operations at West Suffolk Hospital. For some, this lifesaving surgery comes with a cost due to the difficulty in removing lymph nodes.

When a patient is diagnosed with breast cancer surgeons often need to remove the first node to see if cancer has spread further. This
procedure is done using blue dye but this can reach several nodes or none at all making removal tricky, resulting in the removal of many nodes to insure the first node is removed. This can come with life changing consequences for many patients.

1 in 4 patients can be left with lymphedema, a debilitating complication which can cause problems for the rest of their lives.

The SentiMag uses microscopic magnetic beads to target the first node. These beads run through the lymphatic system stopping at the first node, pinpointing exactly the one to remove and preventing further node removal.

For more details about the Sentimag and our appeal visit

www.mywishcharity.co.uk