Brother and sister's epic walk raises over £12,000 for Prince Philip Hospital
Pictured: Lowri and Aled Thomas with family and Prince Philip Hospital staff
Sister and brother Lowri and Aled Thomas from Drefach, Llanelli have raised over £12,000 for the Chemotherapy and Haematology Unit at Prince Philip Hospital. They achieved this incredible sum by walking from Heath Hospital to Drefach, and by holding a charity night with an auction.
The epic walk took place on August 28th-30thand took Lowri and Aled from Heath Hospital in Cardiff to Singleton Hospital in Swansea and past Prince Philip Hospital in Llanelli, before ending in Drefach. The journey mirrored the path their mum took during her treatment, from harvesting her stem cells at the Heath to receiving her stem cell transplant in Singleton and receiving continuing care at Prince Philip.
The charity event and auction took place on August 30th at Neuadd y Gwendraeth in Drefach, with local band Dros Dro entertaining the crowd and Llanddarog YFC providing support.
The total raised was over £30,000, with over £18,000 donated to Myeloma UK and the Lymphoma Leukaemia Myeloma Fund (Wales).
Lowri said: “After mum received her diagnosis of myeloma, we wanted to raise awareness of the disease as well as thanking everyone for their fantastic care and continued support.
“We were truly overwhelmed by the incredible support we received. So many friends and family joined us along the journey, and we were deeply touched by everyone who turned up on the final day to walk the home stretch with us - especially as we battled the elements and pushed through torrential rain!
“The turnout for the charity event itself was just as remarkable. Neuadd y Gwendraeth was buzzing with energy as people came together to enjoy the occasion. Dr Rhian Fuge delivered an inspiring talk about myeloma, explaining how it affects patients, the care currently available, and how the funds raised can help create a brighter future for those living with the condition.”
Kath Watkins, Senior Sister, said: “On behalf of the staff and patients at the Chemotherapy Day Unit, I would like to thank Lowri, Aled, family and friends for their incredible fundraising efforts resulting in an amazing donation of over £12,000.
“We are always looking at ways to improve the environment and improve the way we care for patients within the unit. Please be assured that this money will go towards this improvement. Thank you!”
Cheryl Phelps, Haematology Clinical Nurse Specialist, added: “We are very grateful to Lowri, Aled and all those involved in raising such a generous amount for the chemotherapy and haematology services. It is sincerely appreciated and will enable us to improve the way we help our patients and make a difference to those who use our services going forward.”
Aled added: “A huge thank you to the staff at Prince Philip for your ongoing support, to the Lymphoma Leukaemia Myeloma Fund and Myeloma UK, and to everyone who sponsored us or offered encouragement along the way.
“We’re also incredibly grateful to Llanddarog YFC for their fantastic help during the charity night, and of course to our family and friends for their unwavering support throughout this journey.”