Lisa holds karaoke night to raise money for breast care

Lisa While was diagnosed with breast cancer in January 2018 and after having treatment at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham, has been raising money ever since to thank the staff for their care.

Thanks to the care of the staff at the hospital, Lisa had her cancer removed in February 2018 and didn’t need to have any chemotherapy or radiotherapy which sparked her first fundraising idea of shaving her head!

In September 2018, Lisa’s son shaved her head to help raise money for the breast cancer team here at the hospital and she donated an incredible £665 thanks to her friends and family sponsoring her head shave!

Talking about the care she received, Lisa said: “The care was fantastic, I had the cancer removed and didn’t need chemotherapy afterwards, I couldn’t fault the care.”

The second event she held was in December 2019 to raise even more money for the hospital where she received her treatment. Taking to her local pub, she put on a disco, karaoke and raffle table with amazing prizes donated by her husband’s colleagues at the Post Office and raised another £650!

Lisa said: “I was really surprised at how well the day went, I wasn’t sure how it was going to go but friends and family all came and it lasted from 2pm throughout the afternoon and evening!”

The hospital charity has recently been able to fund a new machine called Align Surface Guided Radiotherapy Technology which was funded thanks to donations just like Lisa’s. Those who need radiotherapy to treat their breast cancer needed three tattoos on their chest so that treatment is delivered to the right place.

Thanks to this incredible machine, patients will no longer need these tattoos as it utilises camera-based technology to detect the patient’s skin surface and allows the radiographer to position the patient without the need for tattoos.

Although the tattoos were small, they are there for the rest of the patient’s life and are a permanent reminder of their cancer and the treatment they have had which can have a psychological impact on patients.

Sophie Carroll, Senior Fundraiser at QEHB Charity, said: “Thank you so much to Lisa for raising such an amazing amount of money for the breast team here at the hospital. Without donations like yours we wouldn’t be able to fund these added extras that go ‘over and above’ what the NHS can fund to help our patients.”

To find out more about the Breast Cancer appeal here at the hospital, please click here.