The unit opened to young patients in January and will care for 13 to 18-year-olds with cancer. I see patients who would never get out of bed suddenly venturing out to sit by the window or talk to other teenagers – and that is a massive thing for us.” “We let them get up when they want, and eat when they like, so it is like a second home, and the impact of this environment is huge. “Little things like being able to text, having movies and watching TV at night, which you can’t do on normal wards with small children around, make a difference to them medically and mentally. You have to feel worse before you get better. Specialist nurse Lorraine Beddard, whose work is partly funded by the charity, said: “A unit like this is a distraction as the teenagers go through a lot of pain. “I want the community to realise they can have this, but they need to support it too, as its running costs are £300,000 a year, which the charity must meet.”įeaturing a jukebox, pool table and entertainment areas, the bright rooms are unlike normal wards, and enable teenagers to be treated together, rather than with babies and infants. It is relatively cheap for the benefit it will have for patients. “People don’t realise what a difference an atmosphere like this makes, until someone they know is at the receiving end. There are 17 now, but I am hoping for 25 in the next two to five years. “In my lifetime I would like to ensure every teenager across the country has access to one of these units. “I was closely involved with the charity from day one as it was set up by my wife and doctor,” said the singer, aged 66, who performed on classic hits including My Generation and The Kids are Alright. And yesterday Daltry was in town to open the latest complex at Birmingham Children’s Hospital. The rock legend plays a pivotal role in ensuring home-from-home wards are being created up and down the country in his role as patron of the Teenage Cancer Trust.
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