West Suffolk Hospital charity My WiSH marks 30-year milestone
Three decades; 30 years; 10,950 days; 262,800 hours. Whatever way you cut it, the milestone My WiSH Charity celebrates today is a monumental one.
Its story is made up of so many important milestones. From capital projects such as the diagnostic unit in the cardiac centre at West Suffolk Hospital, to memory boxes for bereaved parents; a toy kitchen to help physiotherapists assess young patients, to calm rooms for staff during the pandemic, and ensuring every inpatient has a present on Christmas Day.
“We are not here to replace the NHS, but to enhance care by funding things that go beyond what the NHS alone can provide,” said Joanne Landucci, head of fund-raising.
“The generosity of all those people who support My WiSH reflects the care and compassion provided by trust staff.”
The charity’s work extends beyond West Suffolk and Newmarket Community Hospitals into the community teams caring for people closer to home across Suffolk.
My WiSH has benefitted from the generosity of thousands of people who have undertaken skydives, run marathons, cycled long distances, held quizzes, cake sales – and shaved their heads.
The charity’s team has also organised numerous fund-raising events, from the Wags to Wishes dog shows and soapbox races which saw teams hurtling down Mount Road, in Bury St Edmunds, to the recent ‘Grow Your Dough’ initiative, which raised more than £50,000 over two years.
Sally Daniels, grants and appeals manager, said: “Right back to the Abbey of St Edmund and local benefactors like Jankyn Smyth, charitable giving has been a part of providing healthcare in Suffolk.
“Our charity really began with the appeal which brought the first CT scanner to West Suffolk 30 years ago.”
Since that first CT scanner, My WiSH has run many a successful appeal to enhance the experiences of patients and staff.
In 2014, it launched the Forget-Me-Not appeal to raise £25,000 for a memory walk at West Suffolk Hospital for patients with dementia.
The appeal smashed its opening target tenfold, raising almost £250,000. In the end, it provided not only the memory walk but also many other items to improve patients’ quality of life.
In 2017, the Every Heart Matters appeal was set up with the aim of raising £500,000 to include a diagnostic unit in the aforementioned cardiac centre.
With the support of ambassador Frankie Dettori, this opened on December 11, 2018, and has enhanced the care for local people, bringing diagnosis and treatment closer to home.
Sally said: “We work very closely with our maternity team, doing all we can for parents who suffer the loss of their baby.
“My WiSH provided the bereavement suite and cuddle cots at West Suffolk Hospital and memory boxes filled with things we hope will give a little comfort to people at this awful time.”
Over the years, many people have left legacies for the benefit of future generations. Joanne said: “Thanks to the generosity of those who have remembered us in their will, we’ve been able to provide equipment to improve safety, care and comfort for patients from the start to the end of their lives.
“Looking after people in their last days is a priority for the trust and the charity.”
One such legacy helped the charity to open the Butterfly Garden – a calm, tranquil place for palliative care patients, their loved ones and their pets as they prepare to say goodbye.
Dr Ewen Cameron, chief executive at WSFT, said: “Every day, I see the difference My WiSH Charity makes at our trust, for our patients and our staff.
“The achievements over the past 30 years are astonishing, ranging from major capital projects that impact thousands of people, to welfare packs that make hospital stays more comfortable.
“The charity works alongside our staff to make a real difference for patients and families, but could not do this without the generosity of our community.
“Our sincere thanks go to all those who have supported My WiSH and congratulations to the team on reaching this milestone.”
People fund-raise for My WiSH for many different reasons. For staff, it can be a way of saying thank you for things the charity has provided. For others, it is a recognition of the care they have received or experienced what My WiSH provides.
Mike and Rhiannon Lawson have raised more than £8,000 for the charity. The couple lost their baby, Hudson, at 22 weeks old due to a severe heart defect.
Rhiannon said their world was shattered but, in the midst of heartbreak, the team at West Suffolk Hospital provided them with extraordinary care before, during and after the most painful days of their lives.
“The bereavement midwives were nothing short of incredible,” said Rhiannon. “They didn’t just support us through the clinical process, they walked beside us with compassion, gentleness and unwavering presence.
“They gave us space to grieve, to love and to create memories we didn’t even know were possible.”
Rhiannon said the suite she and Mike used during her labour was ‘invaluable’, as was the memory box they were given, which included tiny casts of Hudson’s hands.
Rhiannon said these were now among their most treasured possessions.
“They helped us to feel like parents, even in loss,” she said. “These acts of compassion are made possible by My WiSH Charity.
“That’s why we’re raising money – to ensure other families facing unimaginable loss receive the same support, the same tenderness and the same chance to hold on to something beautiful.
“To anyone going through the same thing: we see you. You are not alone.
“There is no right way to grieve, no perfect words to say. But there is love and there is support and My WiSH is incredible.
“Thank you, My WiSH, for helping us hold on to Hudson and for making sure love endures, even in grief.”
Joanne said My WiSH was grateful to the the couple, both for sharing their story and helping in their own way to ensure people like them were able to be cared for in their darkest times.
“As we mark our 30th anniversary, we are committed to continuing to do all we can to support families like this and the staff who care for them,” she added.