Tag: Christmas

Leicester City Football Club (LCFC) men’s first team dropped by yesterday (Monday 12 December) to personally give Christmas presents to young patients at Leicester Children’s Hospital as part of the Club’s annual festive celebrations.

Brendan Rodgers, the players and the staff from LCFC surprised the children staying at the wards with toys, teddies, and other gifts.

LCFC player Patson Daka said: “It’s been a great time. Of course, it’s good to see the kids, it’s always nice to see and I’m sure they didn’t expect it. I think it’s been a great experience.

“Just being here, it’s the last thing you think of, that you’re going to meet Leicester players and for them to have this surprise, I think it has been amazing and a big positive for them.

“We gave them some gifts to let them know that even if they aren’t at home and here instead, they can still have Christmas.

“I hope that it can also give them that feeling of not being left out, knowing that they have always got people out there who care for them and think about them.”

The event was coordinated by Leicester Hospitals Charity and the Charity team were so pleased that LCFC were able to surprise the young patients at Leicester Hospitals.

Lisa Davies, Director said: “We’ve seen in recent times how difficult it is for children. With Covid-19, the cost of living and then on top of that if they’re in hospital due to illness, this was just a little bit of magic and joy that they can experience while many of them recover. Some won’t ever leave the hospital but seeing their hero in person will bring a smile to their face, which is priceless and free.

“Thank you so much to everyone at LCFC for helping make this possible. We’re so proud to have had the opportunity again to coordinate the visit and surprise the children and parents.”

You too can bring a bit of magic to Leicester’s Hospitals; you can give a gift to the Leicester Children’s Hospitals toy drive on Saturday 17 December. You can find out more by visiting www.LHCharity.org.uk/give-to-gift

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.

Patients spending Christmas Day in Leicester’s Hospitals will receive festive cheer in the form of a present given to them on behalf of Leicester Hospitals Charity.

As Leicester’s Hospitals have been unable to accept offers of gifts from the public and local businesses due to infection prevention measures necessitated by the Covid-19 pandemic, funding from Leicester Hospitals Charity has enabled hospital staff and volunteers to give every patient on every ward a present on Christmas Day.

Each present will include a special gift tag featuring a Christmas design drawn by children from across Leicestershire.

Leicester Hospitals Charity’s Head of Fundraising, Claire Campbell, says the charity are proud to help gift presents to patients this Christmas.

“With all the challenges this year has presented, it’s more important than ever that we do something to try and bring some Christmas cheer to everyone in our hospitals who will be unable to spend Christmas at home or with loved ones,” says Claire.

“Every patient in our hospitals deserves to share in the joy of the festive season and that’s why, as the official charity for Leicester’s Hospitals, we’re proud to say that we’re making sure that every single patient in every ward on Christmas Day will receive a present given to them by our wonderful hospital staff.”

Leicester’s Hospitals’ Play Coordinator, Sally Shepherd – whose team will be distributing presents on Christmas Day – says everyone involved is looking forward to gifting the presents to patients next week.

“As play specialists, being able to help put smiles on faces of children and young people in our hospitals is always such a rewarding part of what we do,” says Sally.

“It’s a real shame this year that we’re not able to accept the hundreds of offers of gifts and presents that we would normally receive each Christmas, but that’s why it’s so wonderful to see Leicester Hospitals Charity step in to help make sure that no one will miss out this year. It will be a privilege for all of our team to make sure that the children and young people receives a gift from our wonderful team of play specialists on Christmas morning.”

Beyond the gifts for patients, the charity will also be rewarding hardworking staff and volunteers by providing a free meal for every staff member on Christmas Day, in the form of a goody bag of festive food and treats; made possible thanks to donations to the charity by generous local supporters, and the efforts of our Estates and Facilities team.

Anyone who wishes to support the work of Leicester Hospitals Charity during the festive season can still make a gift to the Christmas Campaign to help purchase a much-needed new ventilator to support critically ill children in the Paediatric Intensive Care Unit.

To learn more about the charity’s Christmas Campaign and to donate, visit LHCharity.org.uk/christmas.

Leicester Hospitals Charity is proud to announce its first-ever Christmas Carol Concert this December, raising money for the Leicester Children’s Hospital Appeal!

Join us on Wednesday 11 December at the Church of St James the Greater in Leicester for a fabulously festive night of music, and fun.

Hosted by the Reverend Mark Burleigh, the concert will feature traditional carols and performances from the Kibworth Ladies Choir, the Highs & Lows Children’s Diabetes Choir and more. further performances to be announced. Hosted by the Reverend Mark Burleigh.

It’s the perfect way to kick off Christmas or remember a loved one no longer with us in the majestic surroundings of the Church of St James the Greater.

Adult tickets are just £6 and include a glass of wine or soft drink on arrival. Under 12 tickets are just £3 and also include a soft drink on arrival.

To get your tickets, book today by emailing uhl-tr.lhcharitymailbox@nhs.net or call 0116 258 8709.

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