Supporter Stories

During a routine midwife appointment in February 2023, Matt Burgum and his wife Beth received the heartbreaking news that no parent wants to hear – that their daughter no longer had a heartbeat. Lily, at 28 weeks old, had passed away, leaving the family in profound grief.  

As part of the SPRING support service, the bereavement suites at St Mary’s Maternity Unit in Poole Hospital – part funded by University Hospitals Dorset NHS Charity – provided a dedicated space for Matt and Beth to spend precious time with Lily before saying their goodbyes.

For Matt and his family, having this space and time allowed them to be with Lily and begin the process of coming to terms with their loss.    

Matt said: “You can never prepare for that kind of loss, but staying with Lily in one of the SPRING family rooms gave us a private bubble away from the rest of the maternity suites and the rest of the world.

“It was a time when we could be with Lily, holding her, reading her books, telling her how much we love her and how much she would have loved her big sister.

“It really allowed us to make the most of our short time with her. The bereavement team did everything for us whilst we were there which allowed us just to focus on spending time with Lily – making memories that we will always cherish.

“They also referred us to a local funeral director so that we could make arrangements for Lily’s funeral.”    

Over a year later, Matt is preparing to run his first ever Bournemouth half marathon on Sunday 13 October 2024 to honour Lily’s memory.    

The run is also an opportunity for Matt to raise awareness of SPRING and the work they do in supporting parents and families through baby loss – at any stage of pregnancy, at or just after birth – whatever the circumstances and however long ago.

SPRING, which supports parents and families through baby loss, offered a lifeline of care to Matt and his family.    

The bereavement midwives provided answers and reassurances at a time when Beth and Matt had so many questions and emotions. Matt remembered receiving a children’s book that helped him to explain Lily’s passing to their eldest daughter, who was four at the time.

A memory box provided by SPRING, that is filled with photos and keepsakes from their time with Lily, proudly sits within the family’s home as a source of comfort to them.

Matt said: “SPRING helped us to navigate life after Lily. Without them picking us up, that would have been an even more impossible task. The support they gave to us will be forever appreciated.

“As a father, they really checked-in and cared for me. You hear stories about how fathers sometimes aren’t allowed to stay in hospitals beyond visiting hours or have to get their own food etc.

“Due to the circumstances of this loss, I was allowed to stay the whole time, they provided food for both of us, provided parking for the entire time we were there – all of those little things that sometimes can fall on the dad to think about, were completely taken care of which meant I could just focus on being present with Beth and Lily.

“Those 48 hours were so precious to me. I still regularly think back to that time we got to spend with Lily and when I do my memories provide such a comfort to me.

“When I left SPRING, I knew I wanted to raise money for them whilst also keeping Lily’s name alive.

“By setting up Lily’s Legacy, we can do both of those things and help other families who experienced baby loss as they go through similar journeys.”

Matt has been deeply touched by the overwhelming support he’s received for his run in honour of Lily. Matt’s run honouring Lily has inspired others to support his journey and fundraise for SPRING. His older brother and three of his work colleagues will also be joining him on the start line.

This support has meant a lot to Matt because it shows his efforts to raise awareness about SPRING – and the impact the service has on those experiencing baby loss – are making a real impact and that he’s not alone in his dedication to keeping Lily’s legacy alive

On Saturday 27 July 2024, retired PE teacher Denise ‘Denny’ Broadwell gave back to the cancer care team that supported her – by hosting a delightful cream tea event that raised funds for the Jigsaw Unit at Royal Bournemouth Hospital that supported her through her treatment.

Within just a few hours, Denny raised over £1,300 as dozens of people came out to enjoy an afternoon of tea, scones and solidarity. Every cup and crumb raised much-needed dough for the Jigsaw Unit, which is home for University Hospitals Dorset’s cancer departments at Royal Bournemouth Hospital.

In February 2023, Denny visited her GP with a large lump on her groin and was soon fast tracked for an ultrasound and biopsy before carrying out with CT and PET scans. She was informed that she had low grade Non-Hodgkin’s Follicular Lymphoma stage 3 – a type of blood cancer that affects while blood cells called lymphocytes.

The team at the Jigsaw Unit jumped into action. Within the month, Denny had a treatment plan of chemotherapy, received support with her regular tests, consulted with a dedicated nurse for extra support and knew what her follow-up maintenance plan was once the treatment finished.

Denny said: “I’m now 18 months on from that first GP appointment and in partial remission, and I am doing really well.

“I shall be forever grateful for the outstanding support and medical expertise I received at Royal Bournemouth Hospital’s Jigsaw Unit in ensuring I got back to being well and to normality.

“It was the NHS as its best from the excellent consultants who diagnosed and reassured me to the medical team that made sure I had the ‘gold standard’ treatment.”

Within just a few hours of starting her cream tea afternoon, Denny raised over £1,300 for the Jigsaw Unit, which is home for University Hospitals Dorset’s cancer departments at Royal Bournemouth Hospital.

Denny also fondly remembered the “lovely” caring nurse who responded promptly to her concerns, the reception staff who were “always welcoming” and even the “cheerful and helpful” volunteers that made sure patients had refreshments during times of infusions.

Denny added: “I have had so much support, which took away a lot of health anxiety in relation to my condition, that I felt I needed to put something back as a ‘thank you’. The Jigsaw Unit deserved this without a doubt.”

Denny’s cream tea afternoon was truly jam-packed with support for University Hospitals Dorset’s cancer care services. The Charity Cream Tea Association supplied Rodda’s cream and jam, Tesco sorted out the scones and ATORRO SPORTS donated their staff and venue for free.

Between the lovely sunny weather and the community support, the cream tea afternoon was a real treat for our hospitals’ cancer care team.

Denny plans to potentially continue spreading hope – and some jam – throughout the community for the Jigsaw Unit through similar events in the future.

In January 2023, Bournemouth estate agent Chris Rowley faced the toughest challenge of his life. Diagnosed with lymphoma, a type of blood cancer, he went through six months of chemotherapy, with most of his time spent at Royal Bournemouth Hospital’s Ward 11 – a haematology inpatient ward.

It was a physically and emotionally intense experience. So, as a result, the spectacular NHS colleagues on Ward 11 hold a “special part” in Chris’ heart and life.

Fast forward to the present day, Chris, who has always loved running, is gearing up to take on Run Bournemouth’s half marathon in October 2024. But this time, he’s not just running for himself – he’s running for Ward 11, the incredible team that went the extra mile for him during his time spent in hospital with cancer.

Chris said: “When I left Ward 11, I said to them, ‘I will literally do anything for you lot’, and this popped up. I’ve always been into running, but the cancer and chemotherapy wiped me out last year. It took me until the beginning of 2024 to get back into fitness. So, I had double motivation to do the half marathon: I can do something I like and fundraise for Ward 11.”

Every mile Chris completes is a testament to how far he’s come in his health journey, and every pound he raises will go towards enhancing Ward 11’s facilities and how the team can provide compassionate care to others on their cancer care journey.

Chris Rowley is running a half marathon in October to race funds for University Hospitals Dorset’s Ward 11 in the Royal Bournemouth Hospital which helped him through his cancer journey.

After finishing chemotherapy in May 2023, Chris returned home only to be rushed back to Royal Bournemouth Hospital a week later with sepsis.

It was a close call. Chris vividly recalled how Ward 11 looked after him, and there was even a nurse by his side during those critical hours, watching over him.

Chris said: “When I had sepsis, they all rallied around and made sure I came out the other end. I’m forever grateful to them; they know this because I constantly tell them. People don’t know what they don’t know and won’t understand it until they go through it and you’re in there. I didn’t know. This was my first time in hospital, and I’m 45 this year. I got to see first hand what the staff on Ward 11 go through.”

Throughout his time at Ward 11, Chris cherished the positivity and good-natured banter of the NHS staff, who always managed to bring a smile to his face.

For Chris, running 13.1 miles and fundraising for Ward 11 is just a “small drop of gratitude” for the NHS team that went above and beyond for him when he needed it the most during his cancer journey.

On Saturday 25 May 2024, 50-Year-old John McDermott laced up his trainers to tackle a 100km trail run from London to Brighton.

As he raced towards the finish line, it wasn’t just the sweat and blisters at the front of John’s mind. He was running in tribute to his son Alfie who sadly passed away in June 2018.

Alfie was just seven-years old when he was taken into Poole Hospital and treated for severe anxiety induced asthma but tragically, his airways did not open, and he unexpectedly died that day.

John and Jen McDermott and their wider family were supported by Gully’s Place – a service that has been developed to support children and young people with life-limiting conditions.

Funded by University Hospitals Dorset NHS Charity, Gully’s Place offers families a private place within a hospital setting, with the reassurance and comfort of having expert care at hand. Located on the children’s ward, the suite also provides home-from-home accommodation and a place of privacy and dignity for end-of-life care and newly bereaved families.

Jen said: “The time, the space, the amazing care and the privacy we were given through Gully’s Place is something so special to us. I can’t tell you how much that meant to us during those unbearable moments.”

“The facilities and set-up at Gully’s Place meant our youngest son, Harry who was only six at the time, could choose where he wanted to be that day but still be with his family. While we could say goodbye to Alfie, Harry had the time to process what was going on and was not forced to see Alfie until he was ready. All of this was made possible with Gully’s Place.”

And almost six years on, Alfie’s memory shines bright in the McDermott household with the warmest of memories and photos of Alfie’s unforgettable smile. While Alfie will remain in their hearts forever and the devastation doesn’t go, this loving family are hoping to help other parents who experience a similar tragedy or need this type of support.

John said: “I took on this crazy challenge to help raise awareness of Gully’s Place – a place we couldn’t have been without that day. I channel my energy into challenges like this as part of the forever grieving process – but this was by far, my biggest challenge yet!”

“I did it for Alfie and every parent out there whoever experiences the same tragedy as us and needs the support of services like Gully’s Place. People simply need to know it’s there.”

On Saturday 25 May, John was cheered on every step of the way by his wife Jennifer and their son, Harry (11 years) and daughter Maebha (4 years) as he approached the end of this epic race in Brighton.

Running by his side for the first half of this epic challenge was close friend, Jessica Richens who wanted to support Gully’s Place and the McDermott family.

Consultant urological surgeon, Tommy Johnson

In April 2023, 68-year-old, Nigel Holland from Poole had his first appointment with Consultant urological surgeon, Tommy Johnston at University Hospitals Dorset.

After many years of living with increasingly frequent and inconvenient trips to empty his bladder to only feel never fully relieved, Nigel’s symptoms worsened.

Nigel was referred by his GP to the urology team where he was diagnosed in what felt like an instant. While Nigel thought he could continue living with this discomfort, he was told he had an enlarged prostate gland and three days later booked in for some initial treatment and tests.

In November 2023, Nigel had HoLEP surgery (laser treatment) to cut away the excess prostate to enable his urine to flow more freely.

In just 5 months, Nigel feels he has a new lease of life. His usual walks with his dogs and running is much more comfortable and he is extremely relieved and reassured he was seen when he was.

Nigel said: “I just carried on thinking it’s something you put up with, but little did I know that my urine was going back into my kidneys, causing my kidney function to drop to a very low 28 when it should be around 90%. The symptoms crept up on me and if I had carried on, I would have been in serious trouble.”

“I feel extremely lucky to have had the quality of care I received from Tommy and the team. I knew I was in safe hands and have left with an extremely high impression of the urology department.”

Consultant urological surgeon, Tommy Johnston said: “Any changes in usual symptoms, however small can mean something more is going on and can become much more worrying over time, so don’t wait to be seen. The sooner we can help, the better.”

Consultant urological surgeon, Tommy Johnston said: “Nigel’s condition is common and unfortunately many men leave it too late before they ask for help. Through March for Men this year we would like to raise awareness in the community about the importance of getting yourself checked out if you have noticed a change in your urinary symptoms and they are starting to cause you bother. We now offer have a wide range of treatments for bothersome urinary symptoms which are summarised in the NHS England Decision Support Tool for Benign Prostate Enlargement. We are most grateful to Nigel for sharing his treatment journey and for the support from our local community at this year’s fundraising event on Sunday 9 March”

Nigel now knows that his scans have shown no signs of cancer and is due to have his final check up next month, before he is discharged.

While he is overjoyed with his recovery and resolved symptoms, he’s keen to encourage more men across Dorset to get themselves to their doctor whenever they notice any changes in health.

In support of men’s health projects across Dorset, Nigel is encouraging the local community to support one another and sign up to March for Men on Saturday 9 March 2024 – our much-loved fundraising walk. Sign up at uhdcharity.org/m4m

In its tenth year, this event starts from 10am at Bournemouth Pier Approach. Every penny raised allows the incredible Urology team to purchase state-of-the-art equipment that is above and beyond what the NHS can fund. New revolutionary equipment enables the streamline of diagnosis and improves treatment for patients like Nigel.

Nigel is just one of thousands of men across Dorset who have faced men’s health concerns so please join us in a few weeks’ time for this family-friendly 5K or 10K walk along Bournemouth promenade to support our dad’s, brothers, grandfathers and friends.

Consultant urological surgeon, Tommy Johnson

Since Joshie Cadbury from Poole was diagnosed with epilepsy at just 11 years-old, he found a love for knitting to help with his recovery and fundraise for charity.

In August 2023 Josh and his parents and sister were crossing the ferry from Calais to Switzerland when Joshie suddenly became very unwell. Thankfully, Joshie’s parents are trained in CPR in their roles as physiotherapists and could jump into action to perform CPR on him.

After a few nights in Calais Hospital, the Cadbury family were able to continue their holiday. It was then that Joshie really got into his knitting and taught himself to make a headband. This was great for his recovery as he was told to take it easy and limit his screen time.

This hobby was a surprise to everybody as he has always been such an active person but now his creativity was coming out.

Sadly, after he returned from holiday, Joshie continued to have further seizures before it was confirmed he had epilepsy.

Having taught himself to knit while he adjusted to new medication and a need for some more relaxing hobbies, Joshie launched his business called BANZ to give back to his local hospitals that treat other patients just like him and help more people like him living with epilepsy. At just £10 a headband and one hour each to make, Joshie has turned heads with this new way to fundraise.

Not stopping there, Joshie’s parents, Kate and Tom have also worked alongside New Forest First Aid to offer new training courses for parents around how to deal with CPR, using a defibrillator, choking, seizures in children. At £25 a course, more than 90 people have gained the confidence in the first-aid skills to cope with these types of situations that can just come out of nowhere.

Now, living ‘sew’ positively with his new condition, Joshie has settled into his new senior school and has shown amazing resilience along the way. Together with the support of his doctors, his friends and everybody who has supported them in their fundraising efforts, Joshie and his family have raised a total of £2,000 for University Hospitals Dorset NHS Charity’s epilepsy charity fund.

Joshie’s mum, Kate said: “I am so proud of how far Joshie has come and the way he has channelled his diagnosis into something so positive. He has had such a tough time and trying to settle into school, but he has done it! We have certainly learned a lot about how you can face your fears and do it anyway! This is something positive as he has learned to get through this hideous time in his life and hopefully, he will carry these skills with him into later life.”

“It is great to know we have encouraged other parents to train up on vital first aid skills that you just never know you may need one day.”

“There really is nothing more frightening than when you see your child not breathing, but what is even more frightening, is not knowing what to do. We hope our fundraising helps other families like ours.”

Fundraising Officer for University Hospitals Dorset NHS Charity, Amy Beauchamp said: “It is quite remarkable how Joshie at just 11 years-old has taught himself how to knit and managed the production of such high-quality knitted headbands. It is great to see how this new hobby has made him cope with the challenges he has faced. We are extremely grateful for every penny raised for our Epilepsy fund and for Joshie’s family to choose for their donations to go to their local hospitals like the local hospital that helped them in Calais during their holiday to Switzerland.”

The Jigsaw Unit at the Royal Bournemouth Hospital now has 10 new reclining chairs to help make patients a little more comfortable during their chemotherapy treatment. This means every patient having chemotherapy in the Jigsaw Unit can now sit back and relax as they try to get some much-needed rest during their treatment.

These chairs will be putting 150 patients in the more comfortable seats each week.

Making this all possible, is the fantastic fundraising champion that is Hilary Coleman who started a hugely popular fundraising drive earlier this year.

Hilary has first-hand experience on the unit and the importance of finding comfort amidst the storm of treatment. Hours spent in bolt upright chairs had left an indelible mark in her memory.

In fact, this is where her desire to alleviate the discomfort of her fellow patients began.

Hilary said: “I was there from 11am until 6pm some days and being in an upright chair is really uncomfortable. However, one day, I had a really comfortable recliner chair. To be able to put my feet up and close my eyes was just amazing. It’s so important for people to be able to relax as they have chemo.”

It was in that moment, Hilary started her mission to fundraise for more reclining chairs through University Hospitals Dorset NHS Charity. Originally Hilary wanted to provide two more, costing around £1,900 but she went on to raise more than she ever imagined.

Just four days in, Hilary had raised enough for one chair. So many people in the local community donated and the support was flooding in from friends and family. Hilary was blown away by everyone’s generosity and she found it a good way to take her mind off things. Hilary describes this as therapeutic at this difficult time.

Hillary raised an incredible £6,115 to purchase three chairs and inspired fundraising by two other amazing supporters who raised enough for another two chairs. The Ferndown and Parley Rotary Club and Faye Clifford’s Open garden also raised an amazing amount this year to allow us to purchase all the reclining chairs needed for its ten bays on the Jigsaw Unit.

Fundraising Officer for University Hospitals Dorset NHS Charity said: “These chairs are more than items of furniture. Instead Hilary’s fundraiser became symbols of compassion, offering comfort and support to those who needed it most. Thank you so much to the fantastic four supporters for funding these much-needed items and to all the kind people that donated to their fundraising efforts.”

University Hospitals Dorset NHS Charity is continuing to fundraise for more reclining chairs for the Cancer Care Unit at Poole Hospital.

There’s no stopping this walking wonder as 75-year-old Perla Gabuya from Bournemouth continues to turn steps to pounds for University Hospitals Dorset NHS Charity.

So far, Perla has raised more than £2,709 by completing her 5-mile charity walk in Hyde Park on Saturday 21 October. And not stopping there, she’s already planning to take on another charity walk in Spring 2024.

As a Mental Health Nurse in the community for over 25 years, she found her love for the NHS and for giving back but when did Perla’s passion for walking begin?

Sadly, in 2015, Perla was diagnosed with breast cancer and went on to have a mastectomy. Four years later she also had a craniotomy as her doctors found a tumour in her right ear. This led Perla to lose her hearing in her right ear.

While receiving treatment, she was determined to get herself well enough to go home to continue with her recovery. To do this she set herself the challenge each day to get up and walk just one step further than the day before. It started with just taking steps from her bed to the bathroom, to the end of the ward and so on.

It was from this moment on that her love for walking began.

Since then, Perla took a trek in the Amazon Jungle, hiked Machu Pichu, and crossed Bolivia by foot with her husband.

Perla said: “I love the NHS and I want to give back. It’s in your heart when you’re a nurse – you just want to help others! So, I thought what better way to celebrate my 75th birthday this year, than to walk for my local hospitals which coincidentally is the 75th birthday of the NHS.”

“After always helping people, I know I can do more to support more nurses like me and more patients like me! I want to do something unforgettable and hope as many people will support me as much as possible.”

If you would like to support Perla with her fundraising efforts, you can donate through her Just Giving link.

Thank you Perla!