A heartfelt donation to the Haemophilia Unit at QEHB
Mike Willett from Tamworth has raised an incredible £800 in memory of his wife, Pamela. Pamela sadly passed away in March this year after battling chronic lymphocytic leukaemia. As a complication of this, she developed a rare bleeding disorder called 'acquired von Willebrand disease and was treated at the Haemophilia Unit at QEHB. Mike and his daughter Natalie were extremely pleased with the treatment and care Pamela received at the unit and wanted to help give back, by raising money in Pamela's memory.
Mike said, “What this unit has done for Pam in the last three years has been incredible. We want the team who helped her, to benefit from this donation so they can continue to help more people like Pam.This team supported our family greatly and we had all our trust in them to look after Pam.They went over and above to care for her, it means everything to us.Donating this money was the least we could do.”
Mike and Natalie were joined by, Consultant Haematologist, Dr Lowe, to accept the £800 cheque. Dr Lowe, said, "We really appreciate a donation like this. It will benefit patients on the unit and we hope to be able to purchase an ECG machine that will allow patients to have relevant investigations completed in this department. We want to continue to create a seamless experience for patients and their families."
Pamela was treated on the Haemophilia Unit many times throughout the years. Dr Lowe, said, "We are a unit that looks after bleeding disorders all around the West Midlands region. We got to know Pam and her family really well as we are a small team."
Those who attended Pamela's funeral were asked to wear bright colours. Orange facemasks were handed out as well as orange badges to represent leukaemia. The money raised was a combination of donations from friends, family and neighbours. Natalie said, "Mum was always determined she wasn't going anywhere, we used to say she was like Peter Pan. We had a few close calls but she always said 'I'm here forever, I'm not going anywhere." Mike added, "We both always said, we are not dying until the day we die and that is how she lived her life.”
Mike and Pamela were married for 57 years and had a wonderful life together. Here at UHB Charity, we are extremely appreciative of heartfelt donations like this. We want to say a huge thanks to Mike and his family for their generosity and kindness. The money donated will make that vital difference to the lives of others.