My story

I am mid way through my 12 month challenge to raise a minimum of £20,000 to express my sincere thanks to the QE Hospital Liver and HPB Unit in Birmingham for the care I have been receiving since 2009.   I am not doing this alone, my family are pitching in and one of the main ‘events’ is that Elena, my sister, and I have completed an amazing trek of the Great Wall of China for 11 days between 22 September and 2 October 2011! It would be great if you could support us by donating on this page. I have also set up www.charitycupcakes.co.uk to increase my donations! 

 

So, why the Liver Unit? 

 

As many of you will be aware, almost out of the blue in April 2009 my health started to rapidly decline.   After couple of weeks of intense testing - scans and scopes too many to recall - I was diagnosed as having an unusually large 30cm diameter growth on my liver (an haemangioma to you medics!)).  What shook me was that despite the fact it must have been (probably) growing all my life, how all of a sudden I went from family outings, busy work and fun .....to a constant feeling of pain, sickness and fatigue and was barely able to eat or get to my hospital appointments.  My husband Dave was a rock, as ever, and stepped up to doing everything for Rhianna (age 3 at the time) with some much appreciated help and support from family and friends.

 

The operation to remove the growth (by then the weight and size of a baby!), the right side of my liver and gall bladder, was undertaken on 26 June 2009.  The expertise of the surgical team who take on life saving operations every day have enabled me to return to what feels like ‘better than ever’ health.

 

As I watched all the comings and goings of a busy ward, I felt immensely lucky that unlike most of the other patients staying in hospital with me, my surgery marked the start of a journey back to full health.  Sadly, for most of the other wonderful women I met during my stay, surgery was something to relieve symptoms only or had to be undertaken before chemotherapy/radiotherapy.  Now that was sobering.....

 

The early days, prior to diagnosis and surgery, were the most anxious times for myself, family and friends but under Prof John Buckels management at the Liver Unit, we were confident that we were receiving the best care.  I am also thankful to the rest of the medical, nursing and physio staff who treated me.  I was particularly touched by the caring and professional nature of the relatively junior nursing staff whilst in HDU and on the ward.

 

Although I have worked for the NHS for the last 11 years, I had no prior experience of another hospital or being a patient.  My hospital stay under the care of the Liver Unit was praiseworthy and I know first -hand that its excellent reputation is very well deserved.   I still continue to be seen on the Unit on an annual basis and although Prof Buckels retired last September,  I feel reassured to be under the eye of an excellent team.  I therefore pledge to raise as much funding as possible to be used by the team to the benefit of the care they provide patients like myself. 

 

Anything you can donate would be very appreciated by both myself and future patients in the Liver Unit. 

 

Many thanks, Beth xxx

My gallery 8

My Team

Team photo
Bethan and Elena's Challenge

My company

My charity

Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham Charity

Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham Charity

Charity Registration No. 1093989

Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham Charity is the official charity of the Queen Elizabeth & Selly Oak hospitals in Birmingham, including the Royal Centre for Defence Medicine where military patients are treated from around the world. Find out more at www.qehb.org. Your support is much appreciated.

Donations 273

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Thank you so much Beth, Carly loved the giant cupcake and the lemon and vanilla cupcakes went down a treat too!!! xx

Donation by Louise Davies on 27/04/13

£60.00

+ £15.00 Gift Aid

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Beautiful chocolate, Tibetan terrier, themed giant cupcake! Rachael loved the cake, thank you! Also an extra £5 for eyebrow threading from Nita!

Donation by Liz Adey on 10/03/13

£55.00

+ £13.75 Gift Aid

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Thanks for the gorgeous valentine cupcakes Beth, they are going down a treat xxxx

Donation by emma guise on 14/02/13

£15.00

+ £3.75 Gift Aid

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Thank you for the beautiful lemon bomb cupcakes you made for our wedding!!! They were devoured so quickly, a testament to their yumminess xxxx

Donation by Lindsay Andrews on 07/02/13

£30.00

+ £7.50 Gift Aid

Hi Beth, the 40th birthday cakes you made for us were fantastic. Good luck with raising the last few £'s for the charity x

Donation by Xylia Reading on 07/02/13

£45.00

+ £11.25 Gift Aid

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Thank you very much for my take home box. So...... next time perhaps chocolate or ...... ooooh, what about rhubarb??

Donation by Kate Hall on 24/01/13

£50.00

+ £12.50 Gift Aid

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Thankyou for my daughters lovely birthday cupcakes

Donation by sheila hill on 23/12/12

£35.00

+ £8.75 Gift Aid

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Thank you for the cupcakes, as always they were amazing!

Donation by Anonymous on 27/11/12

£30.00

+ £7.50 Gift Aid

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Eyebrow threading from Nita!

Donation by Anonymous on 15/11/12

£15.00

+ £3.75 Gift Aid

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Donation from Nita for eyebrow thredding (sorry its a bit late!). Liz x

Donation by Liz Adey on 11/11/12

£5.00

+ £1.25 Gift Aid

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Lots of happy smiling faces at work after eating surprise cup cakes. So many people telling me how delicious they were. Thanks again x

Donation by Jo Winter on 29/09/12

£25.00

+ £6.25 Gift Aid

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Wedding cupcakes - unusual topping requests met with the usual creativity!! Thank you from all in the wedding party xxxx

Donation by Sarah Manney on 28/09/12

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Baby Shower Cupcakes - Happy Days! Thank you and good luck with the fund raising :) Claire xx

Donation by Claire Jones on 26/09/12

£15.00

+ £3.75 Gift Aid

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from Nita for threading x

Donation by Caroline French on 28/08/12

£5.00

+ £1.25 Gift Aid

Donation by Nicola White on 25/07/12

£10.00

+ £2.50 Gift Aid

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Oops, forgot to donate after I brought cakes for the team the other week. I didn't succumb, despite them looking delicious - diets suck!!

Donation by Liz Adey on 21/07/12

£5.00

+ £1.25 Gift Aid

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Donation by rachel small on 14/07/12

£12.00

+ £3.00 Gift Aid

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Donation by maria mushens on 10/07/12

£5.00

+ £1.25 Gift Aid

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Thank you for another gorgeous cake! Xx

Donation by Lisa Floyd on 08/07/12

£25.00

+ £6.25 Gift Aid

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Donation by Caroline French on 06/06/12

£5.00

+ £1.25 Gift Aid

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Good luck!

Donation by Kate Jennings on 06/06/12

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Dear Beth, thankyou so much for the beautiful cupcakes for my Mum's 70th Birthday, they were so lovely & she adored them.

Donation by Rachel Small on 27/05/12

£45.00

+ £11.25 Gift Aid

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Donation from Nita (eyebrow thredding!) Liz x

Donation by Liz Adey on 18/05/12

£5.00

+ £1.25 Gift Aid

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Many thanks for your lovely cupcakes and delivering them to staff at HEFT as a thank you gift from me. Thanks once again for your help Beth.

Donation by Sue K x on 02/05/12

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Giant lemon cup cake for my dad's 65th birthday. It was both stunning and gorgeous and my dad loved it! Thanks again Beth x

Donation by Joanne Winter on 30/04/12

£50.00

+ £12.50 Gift Aid

Donation summary

  • * Online donations£6,927.52
  • Offline donations£450.00
  • Text donations£7.00
  • Total raised£7,384.52
  • Gift Aid£1,681.74

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