Former patient returns with a gift
A former cancer patient who was treated at Stoke Mandeville Hospital, Aylesbury, 30 years ago paid a rather long-overdue visit recently.
Chris Donohoe was diagnosed with bowel cancer in 1993 at the age of just 38. He was successfully treated thanks to his consultant surgeon, the late Peter McArthur (who sadly died of cancer in 2000).
He was also grateful to the many members of the Stoke Mandeville cancer team who were responsible for his subsequent treatment, including Dr Andy Theobald, who provided Chris with oncology support during his chemotherapy. Chris was also cared for by the late June Wilson OBE, a senior nurse who became the chief driving force behind the building of a specialist cancer treatment unit at the hospital. As a result of June's enthusiasm both Chris and Andy found themselves taking part in charity events to help raise the £1 million cost of the new facility!
Thanks to the amazing fund-raising efforts by the wider community the Cancer Care and Haematology Unit (CCHU) was subsequently built on the hospital site. The new facility allowed both oncology and haematology treatments to be brought together under one roof in a modern and pleasant setting.
Chris, a retired British Airways engineer, attended the formal opening – by the Princess Royal – in April 2001, but hasn't been back since!
Now living in Staines, Chris became Worshipful Master of the Freemasons' Roll Call Lodge No. 2523 in Middlesex in 2022 and, feeling that now was the time to give something back, he chose CCHF as one of the Lodge's charities of the year.
Following several fundraising events, he was able to return on 18 October to present a cheque for £1,625 to Andy Theobald, who has since retired from working at the Unit and is now a Trustee of the charity. The presentation was held in the CCHU's pretty garden where a tree was planted in memory of Chris's surgeon Peter McArthur.
The Cancer Care and Haematology Fund is a charity set up to help those diagnosed with cancer and haematology based diseases and who are being treated by Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust. The charity continues to provide financial support for projects that benefit patients cared for at the CCHU, the Sunrise Unit in Wycombe Hospital and in community settings across Buckinghamshire and neighbouring counties.
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Our photo shows Chris Donohoe, second from right, with Andy Theobald in CCHU's garden. With them are Claire Floyd (left) and Kate Harris-Haigh from Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust's Cancer Information and Wellbeing Service which is based at CCHU.
