Charity campaign for cancer scanner smashes target

A fund-raising appeal to buy a state-of-the-art machine for breast cancer patients at West Suffolk Hospital has smashed its original target – in less than eight months.

My Wish Charity, which supports the hospital, joined forces with the Bury Free Press last year to launch a £25,000 ‘Love Your Nodes’ campaign to buy a Sentimag machine to help pinpoint lymph nodes affected by cancer more efficiently.

No-one imagined the money needed would be raised within eight months, but imaginative fund-raisers and generous donations, including £7,000 from the St Edmunds Trust, £2,296 from Lorraine Smith’s 5k ‘booby walk’ around Bury and £3,177 from Hopton Breast Friends’ 10k winter run and cake sale, went a long way.

Consultant surgeon Eamonn Coveney said: “When we asked for such a generous amount we never thought in our wildest dreams that we could achieve it in such a short time.

“The community have really put themselves through rigorous challenges to raise the £25,000.

“We have now taken delivery of the machine and it is being used in theatre – there is less operative time and less damage to the armpit.

“There is a shorter recovery period, less risk of complications in the long term, and no risk from radiation.

“It’s a technique that eventually could be extended to other cancers like melanoma which can spread to lymph glands in the armpit or groin.”

There remains so much support for the campaign that the decision has been made to keep it going, enabling the hospital to enhance the care it gives breast cancer patients.

For details on how to support the campaign call 01284 712952 or email fundraising@wsh.nhs.uk.

To donate visit www.justgiving.com/loveyournodes.