Rob Eley recently made a trip to Solihull and Heartlands Hospitals to present cheques to the hospital charity following donations made in memory of his late wife Catherine.

Catherine, who served as a police officer, was diagnosed with cervical cancer in 2011, following the birth of their son.
Catherine went on to receive brachytherapy and chemotherapy in Ward 19 at Heartlands Hospital in 2012. Following further radiotherapy and the removal of her lymph nodes, Catherine was given the all-clear. Rob is a former ice hockey player and decided to raise money to support Heartlands Hospital Charity during his testimonial year.

Alongside Catherine and their friends and family, they raised £50,000 for Ward 19 which funded the Chemotherapy at Home nurses who deliver treatment to patients in the comfort of their own homes.

Sadly, Catherine’s cervical cancer returned and she passed away earlier this year aged 39. Over 600 people attended the funeral, with the Police giving her a fitting send-off.

Donations totalling an amazing £5,200 were made at the funeral and Rob decided to split the money between the MacMillan nurses at Solihull Hospital who helped Catherine in the latter stages of her treatment, and Ward 19 at Heartlands Hospital.

Thanks to the generosity of Rob and Catherine’s friends and family, the MacMillan nurses will be purchasing two reclining chairs for patients to use at home.

Samantha Howell, fundraising manager at Solihull Hospital Charity, said: “The money that has been so kindly donated by Catherine and Rob’s friends and family will make a huge difference to patients who are being treated for cancer across the West Midlands.”

If you would like to support Rob’s fundraising campaign, you can visit his JustGiving page by clicking here. 

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