Family raise incredible sum in memory of Lydia
Back in October we brought you the story of how the memory of Lydia Leo had inspired her family to host a fundraising night to raise funds for Ward 19, the specialist cancer ward, at Heartlands Hospital.
The event was a great success, raising an astonishing £7,797 to help Heartlands Hospital Charity to support cancer patients at the hospital.
Lydia was diagnosed with bowel cancer in June 2016 and for the next three years she was treated at Heartlands Hospital before sadly passing away in August 2019. Her sister, Ann, said: “Our family will never be the same without her. She was the most caring and loveable person you could wish to meet.”
The family wanted to hold a fundraising event to remember Lydia, and back in December they held a special night of fundraising at St Anne’s Cub in Digbeth, which was where Lydia’s wake was held. The night included a performance from a UB40 tribute band, a raffle, auction, face painting and much more.
The event was a great success, helping to raise a fantastic total for Ward 19, where the family visited in order to present the cheque to the staff.
Annabelle Davis, Fundraising Officer at Heartlands Hospital Charity, said: “Huge thanks go to Lydia’s family for their amazing fundraising efforts. Heartlands Hospital Charity is proud to support the incredible work of our staff on Ward 19 by helping to provide ‘added extras’ for our patients.
"The generosity of fundraisers like Lydia’s family help us to fund a range of project, from cutting-edge research down to those smaller items that make our patients more comfortable during their time on the ward.
“Lydia’s family, through their fundraising, will have helped to make a huge difference to our cancer patients on Ward 19 in the future.”
Find out more about how Heartlands Hospital Charity support patients on Ward 19 here.
Please note that the photo in this story was taken before the COVID-19 pandemic.
