<p>Laurie Engel was a smart, funny, charming, sparky, sporty boy.&nbsp; He grew up in the beautiful Golden Valley in Herefordshire. &nbsp;At the age of 11 he wanted to win Wimbledon, or failing that be a sports writer like his dad.&nbsp; The world appeared to be at his feet.&nbsp;</p> <p>Then he was diagnosed with a rare and aggressive cancer.&nbsp;&nbsp;Despite&nbsp;more than a year of intensive treatment,&nbsp;he died in September 2005, aged 13.</p> <p>Laurie was treated at the Birmingham Children's Hospital, the childhood cancer centre for much of England.&nbsp; The Engel family found the medical care there world-class, but the facilities and surroundings dismal.&nbsp; The hospital staff were also desperate to improve things.</p> <p>The Engel family&nbsp;set up the Laurie Engel Fund to work with Teenage Cancer Trust and the hospital to ensure future patients have better conditions than Laurie did.&nbsp;&nbsp;A spacious, state-of-the-art six-bed unit has&nbsp;now been completed and the first patients&nbsp;moved in&nbsp;in February 2010.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <p>We started out hoping to raise &pound;10,000; we've now reached over &pound;1.1 million. Thanks to the wonderful support we have received,&nbsp;Laurie's fund has made a large contribution to&nbsp;this &pound;2.5m project,&nbsp;making&nbsp;a huge difference to the lives of the teenagers treated there.&nbsp;&nbsp;We&nbsp;know Laurie would be proud.</p> <p>Donating through this site is simple, fast and totally secure. Teenage Cancer Trust will receive your money directly and, if you are a UK taxpayer, an extra 28% in tax will be added to your gift at no cost to you.<br /><br />Many thanks for your help.</p>