Molly Cuddihy and Sara Millar, kindly ask you to take some time to read the below narrative and if you’re in a position to do so, consider supporting us in achieving our objectives for the Schiehallion Unit of the Royal Hospital for Children, Glasgow.

“On behalf of all of us, those who have made it in their journey and those who sadly have not, Every Thank You Counts!”

It is our hope, with the kind support of each of you, those within the business community and individual benefactors, that we raise funds that will enable us to provide

1. A fully equipped social room within the Schiehallion Unit for children aged 8 years to 12 years old.

2. Support to children and their families cared for within the intensive care unit.

Our vision is simple. That every child and young person within the Schiehallion Unit of the Royal Hospital for Children, Glasgow is supported, and has as happy and normal a childhood as possible during treatment.

Our experience

We are teenage girls who met, and immediately became the best of friends on the Schiehallion Unit of the Royal Hospital for Children, Glasgow. A place we never imagined we would be, but one where we found a special friendship.

In January 2018, Molly was diagnosed with metastatic Ewing’s Sarcoma and not long before, in November 2017, Sara was diagnosed with Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma.

Over the past 20 months in our battles against cancer, we have undergone gruelling and extensive chemotherapy and various other treatments including radiotherapy and major surgery. We have both endured very serious and life-threatening episodes within the unit and without the care of the wonderful teams of professionals, we wouldn’t be writing this. We cannot even begin to express our thanks and the gratitude that we have for those who cared for us.

We recognise how fortunate we are to have had such dedicated, compassionate and committed clinical teams providing our treatment, and we now wish to recognise their efforts, whilst at the same time, raising funds for the benefit of other children diagnosed with cancer in the future.

Background

Social Room –

Both of us have experienced the benefit of such a social space, which caters for children aged 13 years and over. This fantastic facility is provided by the Teenage Cancer Trust.

The facility affords teenage patients an opportunity to feel ‘normal’, a home from home and personal space to engage in everyday teenage activities. It gives us the chance to speak with our peers about the impact our illnesses have on our teenage lives. This ‘safe space’ allows us to engage in those difficult and sensitive conversations that we would not wish to have with our parents or families for fear of causing further upset. It allows us to speak freely and frankly to one another supported by the most fantastic mentor who caters for our every teenage need! Without this facility, both of us would have struggled to come to terms with our illness and we are forever thankful for the provision of this social room.

However, whilst this room exists, together with a playroom for the very young children in our unit, there is no bespoke provision for those children too old for the ‘play-room’, designed around the needs of infants and the Teenage Cancer Trust social space. As such, with your help, we would wish to give those children the same opportunities as ourselves; to free themselves from their hospital bed, if only for a short time, to engage in those activities that children of the same age take for granted, and to meet children with similar illnesses, assisting them to cope with being different when you have cancer.

It does not seem much, a social space equipped for activities to take their minds away from the trauma they are enduring. Believe us when we say that you will be providing a life-changing facility, allowing for some welcome respite from the ordeal of chemotherapy, radiotherapy, major surgery, side effects and associated illnesses.

Physiotherapy Equipment

For critically ill children, we wish to purchase a specialised piece of equipment, MOTOmed Paediatric Letto2 Leg/ Arm Bed Model. This equipment mobilises and exercises muscles whilst in a coma or other medically induced state. This is critical in their recovery and can be used passively or actively. However, only one such piece of equipment exists, currently within the Paediatric Intensive Care Unit. It is our intention, with your support, to provide a second piece of equipment for the Schiehallion Ward.

Intensive Care Unit Support

When a child is within the intensive care unit, the impact on their families, parents, siblings and close family friends is huge. It is an around-the-clock vigil and a heart-wrenching experience for all involved to watch their child fight for their lives; and is emotionally, mentally, and physically draining.

It is our intention, with your help, to ease this pain, with some basic but hugely beneficial support.

Thank you.