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Some of our patients

 

Rachel's story
At the age of 24, Rachel was severely injured when a tractor rolled forward, crushing her behind the steering wheel and breaking her back in three places. Rachel was paralysed from the waist down as a result of the accident and was admitted to the Spinal Injuries Unit at the Northern General Hospital, one of only eight specialist centres in the country.

During her first 12 weeks on the Unit, Rachel had to remain completely stationary in bed to help give her the best chance of recovery. At this stage, Rachel required intensive support and staff cared for her every need. After this period, Rachel was moved on a daily basis, to enable her to sit up a few degrees until she was able to sit fully upright on her own. Rehabilitation was painfully slow, to allow her body to readjust from the injury. With the support of physiotherapists and access to a specialist gym and swimming pool within the Unit, Rachel was eventually able to use a wheelchair and to gradually build up some movement in her legs. Rachel spent a total of four months on the Unit and was able to leave when she had regained sufficient independence to manage at home.

“One of the lasting memories I have of the Unit is the enormous effort staff will go to. They do everything they can to ensure you are physically comfortable, but they also recognise that keeping your mind occupied is really important and they always take time out to chat to you. That made a huge difference to me, it helped keep me focussed. I’m so grateful for all their support.”

The Charity helped Rachel by purchasing televisions that could be swivelled round and positioned above her head to enable her to watch them from her stationary position. Once she was able to sit upright in a wheelchair, the specialist cushions the Charity funded helped to ensure she was more comfortable by preventing painful sores developing as a result of sitting still for long periods.
 
Mark's Story
In 2007, after several months of feeling increasingly unwell, Mark finally collapsed at work on the day he was due to attend the hospital for tests. Within a few days he was diagnosed with Severe Aplastic Anaemia, which is a rare, but very serious blood disorder. The disorder affects the body’s bone marrow, meaning it can’t produce sufficient new cells to replenish the body’s blood cells, resulting in very low counts of red or white blood cells and platelets. That in turn affects the body’s ability to carry oxygen around and fight infection or clot blood. The condition can be fatal. Following his diagnosis, Mark was immediately admitted to the Hallamshire Hospital, where he initially stayed for four weeks. Mark’s blood counts had become dangerously low and nearly all of his bone marrow had died. As a matter of urgency he was given several blood transfusions to help him survive.Over the next 18 months, Mark underwent a rigorous regime of red blood and platelet transfusions and was given ‘immune suppression’, an extreme treatment, which weakens the body’s entire defence system. To counteract this, Mark took a range of drugs to help him fight off any potential infections that could have caused serious complications. To further reduce the risk of infection, Mark had to remain at home in isolation for long periods, leaving only for regular visits to the hospital.

 
Thanks to the highly specialist support provided by the staff working on the Haematology Department, Mark is in recovery and in the summer of 2011, he stopped taking his medication. Mark’s support from the hospital will continue. He will need to be seen on regular basis for his health to be monitored and to check his illness hasn’t returned.“Being diagnosed with a life threatening illness after previously being so fit was a massive shock. Making the right decisions about my treatment at the right time was vital, my life depended on it. I received tremendous support from all staff which in the early stages was very intensive. Every one of the Haematology team played a part in supporting me through my journey and I will be eternally grateful. They helped me to remain positive and gave me the upmost  confidence in their ability to treat me as a result of their high level of knowledge, care and professionalism.”The Charity has helped patients like Mark feel less isolated when spending long periods of time in hospital, by funding the provision of televisions, internet access, films and games. Funds have also been provided to increase the number of en-suite isolation rooms to improve infection control and reduce pressure on the ward.

Raise money while shopping

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Why not use Easyfundraising - a free internet service for consumers who shop online. The site has links to over 500 high street stores and a percentage of each purchase made via the site will be donated to the charity. Click 'More' for details.

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My gift to Sheffield

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