The bells at Leicester’s historic cathedral were rung yesterday in honour of people across Leicestershire & Rutland living with cancer and to mark the launch of Leicester Hospitals Charity’s Chemotherapy Suite Christmas Appeal.

Canon Emma Davies and Chemotherapy Suite nurse Rachael Purves rang the bells to symbolise the end-of-treatment bell that patients who receive chemotherapy at the Osborne Building of the Leicester Royal Infirmary ring upon completion of their treatment programme.

Leicester Hospitals Charity is raising £600,000 over the coming year to provide six brand-new chemotherapy treatment chairs and also transform a currently unused balcony into a new treatment area The charity’s Christmas Appeal is hoping to raise £5,000 – enough for one of these important new treatment chairs.

Hinckley resident Jon Wright, 53, is one of the patients currently making regular visits to the Chemotherapy Suite after he was diagnosed with terminal lung cancer on Christmas Eve in 2020.

“After Christmas last year, I had the heartbreak of telling my sons that, in my early 50s, I have terminal lung cancer,” says Jon.

“I told them that the doctors will try to keep me alive for as long as possible. It was the hardest moment of my life and I wouldn’t wish it on anyone. I had to admit to my boys that I would not live to see them grow up and reach important milestones.”

Jon is urging the public to help patients like him to live longer and have a chance of living cancer-free by donating to Leicester Hospitals Charity’s Chemotherapy Suite Christmas Appeal this Christmas.

“Every three weeks I have treatment at the chemotherapy suite to boost my immune system,” says Jon. “I still use one of those chairs, but there are not enough of them for everyone. Waiting times are long and Covid has only made this worse.

“With your support, Leicester Hospitals Charity will help to allow an extra six patients to receive treatment at any one time. It may not sound a lot, but it will mean that more patients like me will have a chance to live longer, or unlike me, have a chance to ring that bell.”

Jon’s consultant, Professor Samreen Ahmed, says people will help to save lives by supporting the charity’s appeal.

“What we need urgently is more chairs to treat more patients and save more lives. Please, if you can, make a gift to Leicester Hospitals Charity this Christmas, to secure a new chair for the chemotherapy suite.

“This chair will help save the lives of many people living with cancer in our area and we look forward to more bells being rung, directly as a result of the generosity of people across our community.”

Canon Emma Davies said it was an “honour” to ring the Cathedral bells in support of the appeal.

“I hope that our bells will sound a note of hope for people living with cancer and their families across this city and county, and that many people will be helped through the money which will be raised,” Canon Davies said.

Last year, 7,600 people were diagnosed with cancer in Leicester, Leicestershire & Rutland. The Chemotherapy Suite at the Osborne Building at the Leicester Royal Infirmary has been in operation for over 20 years.

Over the past two decades, many new cancer treatments have been developed and delivered through immunotherapy and chemotherapy. While this has been excellent news for cancer patients, it means that the Leicester Royal Infirmary does not have the space to treat the number of patients in a timely manner. Therefore, patients have to wait longer for treatment, with delays impacting their quality of life.

The success of the Chemotherapy Suite Appeal will allow almost 4,000 more treatments to be given each year and reduce waiting times.

Anyone wanting to make a gift to Leicester Hospitals Charity’s Chemotherapy Suite Christmas Appeal can do so now at LHCharity.org.uk/Christmas, or by calling 0116 258 8709.