My husband Nilay, at the age of 36 years was appointed as a consultant Urological Surgeon at the Churchill Hospital Oxford in February 2012, after many years of determination, hard work and perseverance.

He was always so dedicated to his profession and cared very deeply for his patients. I knew what this meant to him, and how proud he was that he could save and improve lives.

Since his sudden passing in May 2014, I have been inspired to help build a lasting legacy for him. I am honoured to be a trustee of UCARE who are an independent charity committed to improving the treatment and care of cancer patients.

Raising funds for an Ultrasound machine

Nilay played an integral role in setting up The Oxford Renal Auto-Transplantation Programme. 

This surgery involves operating on patients with complex kidney tumours, removing the kidney, cooling it, removing the tumour, reconstructing the kidney and transplanting it back into the body. Oxford is the national referral centre for these complex cases. 

The first few hours after the transplant are critical as the artery and veins are at risk of thrombosis and becoming blocked. This can be checked and monitored effectively by ultrasound scanning. However, the out of hours ultrasound service depends upon the on-call radiologist coming across to the Churchill Hospital from the sister hospital (John Radcliffe). This can be in the middle of the night and can often take hours, especially if they are busy. By this time the kidney may die if the blood supply is compromised.

UCARE would like to raise funds to purchase an ultrasound machine at a cost of £30,000 to be kept in the Churchill theatres, so they can be used immediately should a problem arise. They will be used by a trained Transplant or Urological Surgeon, and will potentially save lives.

Thank you for taking the time to read my page. Your support will play an instrumental role in not only helping me to continue Nilay's legacy, but also helping to possibly save and improve the lives of many future patients. 

Seetal Patel (January 2015)

Presentation of Scanner 

In September 2016 we presented the scanner bought in Nilay's memory to the Churchill theatres. The surgeons are able to use this equipment to monitor transplants post-op to ensure viability of organs and success of operations. 

The surgeons are undergoing training to help them use this effectively. I am assured that this will help surgeons make life saving decisions and will improve the chances of successful operations. This is the perfect way to celebrate Nilay's life, passion and achievements. 

Nilay Patel Fellowship 

Since then UCARE have also funded the Nilay Patel Fellowship and continue to raise funds in his memory to benefit patients with urological cancers.

Seetal Patel (June 2019)