Nursery raises funds for chemo unit

Staff from Twts Tywi Nursery climbed Pen y Fan and raised £3,000 for the Chemotherapy Day Unit at Glangwili Hospital.

They raised the funds as a thank you for the care Rhian Môn Davies, mother to two boys who attend the nursery, received at the unit.

Children who attend the nursery also got involved with the fundraising by doing laps of the playground.

Rhian said: “In May 2022, I was diagnosed with Stage 4 bowel cancer that had spread to my lungs.

“After an operation to remove the tumour from my bowel, I started chemotherapy in September 2022 at the Chemotherapy Unit at Glangwili and did 14 cycles, which I finished in May 2023. As difficult and gruelling as the chemo was, my consultant Dr Barrington and the staff at the unit were fantastic and did such a wonderful job.

“My two boys attend Twts Tywi nursery and earlier this year the nursery decided to fundraise to raise money for the chemo unit. I felt so grateful to them for choosing something that was so close to our hearts when we were going through such a difficult time.

“I can’t thank them enough for their time, effort and generosity in raising such an amazing amount of money. Diolch to Caryl, the nursery team and all the children at the nursery who were part of the fundraising. They all did an incredible job.”

Gina Beard, Lead Cancer Nurse, said: “What an amazing sum of money! We are so grateful and humbled when the public choose to support our health board charity and therefore the services that are delivering cancer treatments.

“We are able to use the money to support a better patient experience. Funds raised in this way support resources such as helpful books and play therapy for children of people going through cancer treatment, and improvements in the unit environment that make it a more comfortable place to attend. All of these would not be possible without amazing fundraisers.”

Claire Rumble, Carmarthenshire Fundraising Officer, said: “The support of our local communities enables us to provide services over and above what the NHS can provide in the three counties of Hywel Dda and we are extremely grateful for every donation we receive.”

For more details about the charity and how you can help support local NHS patients and staff, go to www.hywelddahealthcharities.org.uk