This Christmas we are asking our supporters to get elfy and help keep our patients healthy!  All donations will help fund a very special SPECT CT scanner for Sheffield Children's Hospital.    

The scanner will enable us to help children like Charlie, who in the run up to Christmas in 2013 when he was only 2 years old, received the devastating news that he had been diagnosed with neuroblastoma – a rare cancer of the nerve cells.  During those first six months of treatment Charlie had countless scans, including multiple MRIs, CT scans and gamma scans. Being still just two, Charlie was afraid and he had to have a general anaesthetic every time he had one of these scans. The SPECT CT will enable diagnostic imaging of our young patients in two different ways which, when added together, will give extremely quick and precise pictures of exactly what is causing their illness. Quicker diagnosis will mean faster access to treatment – and for children like Charlie, this means that they may avoid unnecessary medicines and therapies that can leave them feeling extremely unwell.  

Some 15 months after it all started, Charlie got the life-changing diagnosis when he was told that he was finally in remission. Now, this Christmas Charlie is six and celebrating his third year being cancer -free.  

Every £1 donated to our Christmas Appeal will be matched by Graham Royle of GRI Group up to a total of £50,000; and Matthew Davison of Dutton Recruitment to a further £25,000. In addition to this, we are excited to announce that we have secured another funder – meaning that now if we raise £100,000 in total this Christmas every penny of it will be doubled, making it even better for our patients and their families!   

So start getting elfy!! Your donation will make a real difference to our young patients and their families.