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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Your cupcakes look amazing Beth. Please send me your secrets. Happy Christmas. XX

Donation by Becca Flynn on 19/12/11

£5.00

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apologies for lateness of payment for wallet. x

Donation by sue cattell on 19/12/11

£10.00

+ £2.50 Gift Aid

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Great cause. Can't wait to see those baking secrets ;)

Donation by Charlene McCready on 14/12/11

Keep up the good work, what a marvellous idea !!!

Donation by rebecca griffiths on 14/12/11

£4.00

+ £1.00 Gift Aid

Hi Bethan, Hope to see photos of you with the great wall soon! 中国长城

Donation by li Xu McCrae on 13/12/11

£50.00

+ £12.50 Gift Aid

Hi Bethan, Donated via Nita for threading my eyebrows.

Donation by Nikki White on 13/12/11

£5.00

+ £1.25 Gift Aid

What a great idea - can't wait to see all your secrets!!

Donation by Joanna Hodgkiss on 13/12/11

£4.00

+ £1.00 Gift Aid

Donation by Anonymous on 13/12/11

Well done Beth, a fantastic amount raised for a very worthy cause x

Donation by Kath and Dave Worton on 13/12/11

£5.00

+ £1.25 Gift Aid

Well done!!!

Donation by Karen Whitehouse on 12/12/11

£5.00

+ £1.25 Gift Aid

Happy Xmas Bethan - only secret I need is how to make cupcakes without actually having to do anything myself !!! xx

Donation by Gareth Edwards on 12/12/11

£50.00

+ £12.50 Gift Aid

Donation by Anonymous on 11/12/11

£5.00

+ £1.25 Gift Aid

Well done Beth, you are an inspiration to us all.

Donation by Jennifer Baker on 11/12/11

£5.00

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Merry Christmas Beth and family. Good luck with the fundraising. Bring on the baking!! :-) xxx

Donation by Anna and family on 11/12/11

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You are doing a fantastic job at raising lots of money for a great cause x

Donation by Clare Finlow on 11/12/11

£5.00

+ £1.25 Gift Aid

You are a trooper Beth, can't wait to start baking now the kids have seen your cake photos! Merry Christmas xx

Donation by Keely Jones on 11/12/11

£10.00

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Keep up the great work Beth, Chris and I didn't know you had been so poorly. Xx

Donation by Charlotte Hands on 10/12/11

£5.00

+ £1.25 Gift Aid

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I'd love to know your baking secrets as I'm useless!! Keep up the good work Beth. Xx

Donation by Hawys Miller on 10/12/11

£5.00

+ £1.25 Gift Aid

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Let's get baking xxx

Donation by Marie George on 10/12/11

£5.00

+ £1.25 Gift Aid

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Well done Beth, you have achieved so much :-D xx

Donation by dawn Cunnington on 10/12/11

£2.00

+ £0.50 Gift Aid

Hi Beth I would love to have your cupcake secrets please! Love from a novice baker x

Donation by Claire Sidwell on 09/12/11

£5.00

+ £1.25 Gift Aid

Hi Bethan. Hope all is well with you. Have a great christmas & new year. Keep up all the great work you are amazing. Hi to Elena. Chat Soon Maura xx

Donation by Maura Dwyer on 08/12/11

£10.00

I need all the cupcake help I can get!

Donation by niall carmichael on 08/12/11

£10.00

+ £2.50 Gift Aid

What a lovely idea to raise money. You are doing a smashing job. All the best Beth. Happy Christmas to you and your family. Carole x

Donation by Carole Clowes on 08/12/11

£5.00

+ £1.25 Gift Aid

Wished you can post your cupcakes to the South East! You are doing a great job and Happy Christmas! Best wishes, Sue

Donation by Sue K on 07/12/11

£8.00

+ £2.00 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

* Charities pay a small fee for our service. Find out how much it is and what we do for it.