Back in October of last year, the Charity brought you news of a fundraising campaign that would see the Queen Elizabeth Hospital Charity bring in an overall total of £400,000 to fund two new pieces of equipment to treat breast cancer patients at QEHB. We asked for your help and now one year on we have fantastic news!

The Charity’s fundraising appeal raised money to purchase two pieces of equipment that would allow the radiography team to offer a new form of treatment called Deep Inspiration Breath Hold (DIBH). The two pieces of state of the art equipment were essential in enabling the team to use the DIBH treatment on patients undergoing radiotherapy for left-sided breast cancer. QEHB Charity wished to fund the new equipment for radiotherapy patients that specifically need the left breast or chest wall targeted during treatment.

The DIBH treatment is a technique whereby the patients are told to hold their breath for 20 seconds to inflate the lungs. The heart then is distanced away from the left breast and chest wall, whilst the machine simultaneously targets a radiation beam to localised areas. This machine helps to minimise potential radiation damage to the heart as nearly one in 20 left-sided breast cancer patients suffer from cardiac issues later on in life. The machine monitors the breathing patterns and position of the patient; this in turn will automatically switch off in less than a millisecond if the beams are too close to the heart.

QEHB Charity is delighted to report that, thanks to the incredible support from people who donated. The Charity has reached the £400,000 target and the DIBH treatment is now being used to treat and save the lives of patients here at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham, patients just like Julie Fearne. Julie, a patient at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham, was treated with DIHB radiotherapy treatment and wanted to thank the staff for her exceptional treatment.

Whilst receiving this very treatment after having a mastectomy in January and chemotherapy in February of this year, Julie Fearne wished to praise the staff that treated her here at QEHB,

Julie said: “Oh wow where do I start? The staff were so amazing from day one, they were so pleasant and always explained things thoroughly, so much so that I didn’t feel nervous, not once!

“I wasn’t aware that the machine was charity funded but I am just so grateful. I am aware that the government doesn’t have the funds to provide state of the art machinery like this, without the donations and generosity of people who have funded it, my health would have beeneven more at risk.”

Rachel Learmonth, Senior Fundraiser for QEHB Charity said: “We are delighted to hear the positive treatment Julie has received thanks to our wonderful staff and the generosity of Charity supporters’ funding of the machine. This will only add to the quality of care on offer here at Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham.”

Julie Fearne

To donate to our Breast Cancer Appeal please click here 

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