This year, our Little Oaks team at Ashford and St Peter’s Hospitals recently welcomed several patients finishing their treatment for cancer. Five of our brave patients have now finished their treatment, with another two set to complete theirs by the end of the year.
When a cancer patient finishes treatment, it has become a tradition to ring a bell to mark the end of their treatment. This year alone, we’ve had five bell-ringing celebrations on the ward.
This August, we celebrated a significant milestone as one of our younger patients, Skye, came in to ring our end-of-treatment bell.
Skye has been with us since April 2020, after being diagnosed with Acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL). To mark the end of her journey, we were joined by her and her family and the dedicated team members who have supported her throughout her journey.
Susan Snaith, Advanced Nurse Practitioner in Paediatric Oncology on Little Oaks Ward said: “Bell ringing celebrations are such magic. It is a real milestone in the treatment journey.
“Skye and her family have been a pleasure to look after over these past 2 years. I always find it a privilege to care for our families and be able to support and 'hold their hands' throughout.”
The Little Oaks Ward is somewhere children come to feel less like they are in a hospital setting, the ward has a sofa, TV and plenty of toys to keep the children entertained before, during and after treatment with the aim of helping parents and children to maintain as much normality as is possible while they are undergoing treatment.
Skye’s father shared: "Thank you for being the most amazing support over the past years for my family. We didn’t know what to expect or what was going to hit us when Skye was diagnosed, but we couldn’t have asked for more. Genuinely, thank you. You guys are unbelievable human beings, and I’ll never forget that. We appreciate you."
Picture from left: Emma - Family Support Worker, Momentum, Megan - Music therapist, Momentum, Kirsty and Mike, Skye’s parents, Ava, Skye’s sister, Skye, Sue - Paediatric Oncology Advanced Nurse Practitioner, Dr Mitchell - POSCU Lead Consultant, Emily - Paediatric Oncology Clinical Nurse Specialist
