Birmingham woman Joanne Edwards, with the support of residents from Beacon Park Village, has raised a fantastic £1,000 for Heartlands Hospital Charity that will support the work of the dedicated cancer ward at the hospital, Ward 19.

Joanne came along to Ward 19, where she has been receiving treatment, along with her mum Sandra Birch to present the cheque to the staff on the ward. The fundraising pair held a charity evening in Lichfield following the wonderful news that Joanne is in remission following lengthy treatment for leukaemia.

Joanne said: “When I got the news that I was in remission, my mum wanted to throw a big party with our family and friends to celebrate. We thought; why not turn it into a fundraising event to give back to the hospital that saved my life?”

Joanne’s treatment at Heartlands Hospital began when she was due to have surgery to remove her gallbladder when she was called in for emergency chemotherapy when the doctors realised that she had leukaemia.

She said: “I was rushed in for emergency treatment and I remained at the hospital for the next three months. It was a gruelling time, there were two occasions on which I nearly died and I’m only here thanks to the amazing treatment that I received from the staff at the hospital.

“The whole period is a bit of a blur and I can’t remember all that much about it, but I can remember just how hard the staff all worked to look after me, and ultimately keep me alive.”

Following her treatment, Joanne has now been able to return home, and is hugely grateful for the support she has received from her friends and family, especially her mum and her two sons who are both in their twenties.

Before her treatment, Joanne worked as an Amusement Arcade Manager in Sheldon, where she hopes to return to work later in the year. Her experiences have inspired her to also take on other challenges, saying: “I really want to give something back to those who have helped to save my life. As well as taking part in further fundraising activities, I would love to volunteer at the hospital.

“Having received treatment for leukaemia I know what it is like, and I hope that my knowledge might help to support other patients in the future.”

During her time on Ward 19, Joanne met Donna Parkin who was being treated for the same condition. Sadly, Donna passed away and Joanne has been inspired by her to help raise awareness of the condition, saying: “The only symptom that I had was feeling incredibly tired. I went to get myself checked up and thankfully they managed to diagnose me. Had I not done this, who knows what would have happened?”

“I hope to raise awareness of leukaemia and encourage people to go to the doctor if they are feeling unwell for a long period of time.”

Sian Averill, Fundraising Manager at Heartlands Hospital Charity said: “Huge thanks go to Joanne for this amazing fundraising effort. The hospital charity works to provide added extras for staff and patients, over and above that which can be funded by the NHS.

“This donation of £1,000 will help us to ensure that Ward 19 continues to be a cutting-edge cancer treatment centre.”
If you would like to learn more about how Heartlands Hospital Charity supports Ward 19, visit heft.org.uk/ward19, or if you’d like more information about how Heartlands Hospital Charity supports patients, please go to www.heartlandshospital.org.uk or call 0121 371 4852.

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