Thanks to £9,302.40 funding from Leeds Hospitals Charity, wards L32 and L33 at Leeds Children’s Hospital have been able to receive twelve new bedside chairs for parents, carers and patients on the Teenage Cancer Unit and Bone Marrow Transplant Unit.

Due to current covid restrictions, other chairs cannot be moved from unit to unit and are not allowed to be swapped due to the risk of infection.

These young people and their parents can spend between four to eight weeks on the unit, so to have chairs that are comfortable to sit in during this period is essential and has helped transform the support provided.

Michal’s son Lewis is currently being treated on the Teenage Cancer Unit and says the chairs have made a huge difference:

“We’ve been in and out of hospital for the past three months, so having a comfortable chair to relax in while I’m at Lewis’s bedside has made a real difference. It’s reassuring that I can be close to my son and get a few hours rest when I stay on the unit with him overnight.”

Diane Hubber, Teenage and Young Adult Cancer (TYA) Clinical Nurse Specialist for Outpatients, said:

“On the bone marrow transplant unit, we have so many parents who are up through the night because their children are extremely ill. During the day, the chairs easily extend allowing parents to catch up on much needed sleep.

On the teenage unit the same benefits apply but we have also noticed that young people are now more compliant with getting out of bed and sitting in the chair which has shown huge benefits for rehabilitation and encouraged normalcy which is crucial in this age group. Many of our young people develop muscle and joint pains due to treatment so the fact the chairs extend means they can position themselves more comfortably.”

Being able to relax and be comfortable has meant that parents are less stressed which is beneficial for them, their child and the staff.

Diane continues, “the turnaround time to receive the chairs was amazing and we couldn’t have purchased these without the support of Leeds Hospitals Charity.

Their support and funding is having a lasting impact on so many parents, carers and patients and making a significant difference when these people need it to the most.”