Welcome to the Bristol Royal Infirmary Liver Transplant Service JustGiving Page!

The Bristol Royal Infirmary is a satellite centre for London’s Royal Free Hospital liver transplant programme. This means that patients can receive the majority of their care in Bristol, which is much more convenient and beneficial for them. 

However, all patients being considered for a liver transplant must make the difficult journey to London to attend the Royal Free Hospital for an in-patient stay to have their transplant assessment. They and their families have to fund the associated costs for this trip.

For anyone, the prospect of having a liver transplant is incredibly scary. It’s a rollercoaster of emotions and anxiety levels for patients and their families are at an all time high. For many, the financial costs of their assessment in London adds yet another level of difficulty.

As a result, a fund has been set up to support patients who would otherwise have great difficulty getting to London. The Sherwood Fund was created in memory of a post-transplant patient who sadly passed away last year, whose family highlighted the importance of financial support during the transplant process.

I am a post-transplant patient at the BRI. I was diagnosed with liver disease in 2018, and I was put onto the transplant list in September 2020, after spending three days in London for my assessment. I also had to travel to London on two other occasions for addition treatment, and distinctly remember these long journeys being very stressful for my whole family. 

Last July, one of our lovely transplant nurses arranged a fundraising event for the Sherwood Fund. This was an amazing day, with over £3000 being raised! It was hugely successful and everyone had so much fun, but I wasn’t able to make it as I was in London having my own transplant at the time!

Following the success of last year's fundraising, our wonderful transplant nurse Sarah Lees is helping me to organise this event again. The BRI liver team are aiming to cycle on a static bike the full distance from the BRI to the Royal Free hospital - 126 miles! We will be joined by both pre-transplant and post-transplant patients, along with their friends and families, to help us reach our goal.

The date of our cycle is Wednesday 19th JULY, starting at 9am. We will be located opposite the Bristol & Weston Hospitals Charity fundraising hub, next to Boots. Everyone is welcome to join in, either to cycle a few miles or to help us fundraise. It will be a really enjoyable day, and a perfect opportunity to raise awareness and show our support for transplant patients and their families. There will also, of course, be lots of cake!

If you would like to get involved, please contact me at emercia.hw@outlook.com or on 07597367909, or email Sarah at Sarah.Lees@uhbw.nhs.uk

I am so excited for this event, and I would love to see you all there! Please do help our wonderful liver patients, to make their journeys just that little bit easier. Any and all support offered means the world to us, and every single penny really does make a difference.

Many thanks and best wishes

Evie