Romford cancer patient says thanks with music gift

A grateful cancer patient from Romford pledged to make life more comfortable for other people undergoing treatment.

Pippa Ward was diagnosed with breast cancer in September last year, and faced gruelling treatment at Queen’s Hospital.

But the 44-year-old said that the staff in the radiotherapy department were so dedicated that it made an enormous difference to her experience.

“Everyone was so lovely. You could see their dedication. Although all the patients in this department have cancer, you hardly ever see a miserable face in the waiting room, and that is such a credit to the staff.

“I wanted to give something back.”

Pippa has been raising money for the department, and already donated �7,000.

MP3 players and docks have been bought for every treatment room so that patients can listen to the music while receiving radiotherapy.

Lead radiographer Jackie Hartigan said: “Things like this help us to make sure that patients have the best experience possible and such a bad time in their lives. It is important to make people’s lives easier as you lead them through this journey.”

Pippa is also planning to fund a machine which takes fat from the stomach and then redistributes it at the tumour site, where an area had been removed. This will help patients having cosmetic reconstruction.