Karren Brady kicks off building work for Teenage Cancer Trust

23/11/08

The first woman in football, Karren Brady (Managing Director of Birmingham City FC), today attended a turf cutting ceremony to mark the beginning of construction work on Teenage Cancer Trust’s £2.8 million unit at Birmingham Children’s Hospital. The new six-bed unit for teenagers up to the age of 16, will be a leading cancer centre in the region, providing specialist care for teenagers and young people with cancer from across the West Midlands.

Teenage Cancer Trust, which helps young people fight cancer, is developing a number of specialist facilities in the West Midlands, including the unit at Birmingham Children’s Hospital. These will provide teenage cancer patients with some of the best options in the country. In total, the facilities will cost the charity £3million, £1million of which needs to be raised locally.

Karren Brady said: ‘I am really proud to be supporting Teenage Cancer Trust and look forward to seeing the developments that the charity has planned in the West Midlands. I visited the ward at BCH where teenagers are treated earlier today, and was so impressed by the positive environment and camaraderie between the patients. Whilst the care is fantastic, it will make such a difference for these young people to be in an environment with young people their same age, who they can share their experiences with.’

Paula Hancox, Regional Appeals Manager for Teenage Cancer Trust in the West Midlands added: ‘I would like to thank on behalf Teenage Cancer Trust, all those in the region and beyond, who have supported this appeal to date, particularly the Engels. Without their drive and dedication, we wouldn’t be here today. However – we aren’t there yet. We still need to raise £1million in order to progress with our plans for teenage cancer facilities in the region, and need everyone’s continued support to be able to achieve this as soon as possible.’

She continued: ‘Teenage Cancer Trust units aren’t like ordinary cancer wards. Everything about them has been designed to give teenagers the very best chance of a positive outcome. We want every young person with cancer in the region to have that chance.”

Today’s milestone is particularly moving for one local family. Matthew and Hilary Engel lost their son, Laurie, to a rare and aggressive cancer in 2005. Since his death, the Engels from Herefordshire, have raised £860,000 for Teenage Cancer Trust and the new unit, where Laurie would have been treated.

Speaking at the turf cutting, Matthew Engel said ‘Laurie had fantastic care at BCH, from wonderful doctors and nurses. But the staff know even better than we do that the existing ward is hopelessly inadequate for older kids who have their own special needs.

Often these patients will be in and out of hospital for years. We need a place where sick teenagers can be teenagers as well as just sick. And the new Teenage Cancer Trust unit will make a huge difference to their lives. Laurie would be very proud.’

Andrew Hughes, Chief Commercial Development Officer for Birmingham Children’s Hospital, said: ‘We are delighted that our teenage patients will benefit from this specially designed ‘funky’ pod. We have no doubt this will make a big difference to the teenagers stays in hospital and make a difficult time in their lives a bit easier.’

In addition to the new unit at BCH, the charity is also developing facilities for young people treated at Birmingham’s Royal Orthopaedic Hospital. These will be provided for patients across the Midlands and parts of Northern England, requiring diagnosis and treatment for bone related cancers.

Once these facilities are underway, Teenage Cancer Trust will begin to raise additional funds for a brand new unit at the University Hospital of Birmingham (UHB), due for completion in 2010. Teenage Cancer Trust’s existing unit at UHB was opened in June 2000 and has six beds, as well as a day room and sensory, chill out room.

Donations can be sent to: Teenage Cancer Trust West Midlands Appeal, 3rd Floor, 93 Newman Street, London, W1T 3EZ or online via www.teenagecancertrust.org/westmidlands