The accommodation unit was by now up and running, other fundraisers having contributed to the cost also. This left a surplus in Danny’s fund, which was a blessing in disguise as you will see.
In the middle of the Year 2000, Doctor Raj Chopra, the new Director of the Adult Leukaemia Unit approached Joyce and I. We were asked if we could redirect some funds to assist the unit in gaining the necessary accreditation for bone marrow transplants to be performed at the A.L.U. The old system entailed moving a patient to the Intensive Care Unit at Withington, and as this hospital closed in 2002 we have another unsatisfactory system.
To gain this accreditation means – in our case – the operation of an on site Intensive Care Unit. As Leukaemia have their own individual rooms, the I.C.U. would need to be mobile. So now it is called a High Dependency Unit and is made up of various highly technical state of the art modules. A defibrillator and dialysis machine to name but two. The N.H.S. trust has agreed to man and maintain the unit, but the capital investment must come from other sources. This is where ‘Daniel’s Light’ enters the scene, and our new appeal is called ‘The Critical Care Campaign’.
It is at this stage during any Leukaemia patient’s treatment that the most inoffensive germ could strike, because the patient has no defence system except man-made antibiotics. Very serious consequences often result. Major organ collapse is one of them. The investment in the High Dependency Unit is going to shorten the odds in the patient’s favour and give a flying start for a better quality of life.
The cost of the unit is £250,000, of which ‘Daniel’s Light’ hopes to provide £100,000, with the additional funding being provided via other campaigns. This is of course a truly massive target and will demand a great deal of effort by you our supporters, but we truly believe that it is a goal which is believable, inspirational, challenging and most importantly of all achievable! So, as ‘Daniel’s Light’ spreads its wings amongst other charitable communities we know that the campaign will succeed.
Joyce and I are reminded of a quote by Lord wade of Chorlton. In it he said “It is a great shame that the people that give or raise money will never know whether their actual donation saves a life. They can however, take comfort in that if they didn’t actually save a life they helped someone to die with the dignity they deserve”.
Many centuries ago, Confuscious said, “no matter the length of the journeys, they all begin with but a single step”. Well ‘Daniel’s Light’ took its first step in 1994, and since then you have raised over £117,000 to provide so much state of the art equipment for the Adult Leukaemia unit.
We all know that the funds you have raised are so needed for the war on Leukaemia, and of course we all hope and pray that a cure will be found.
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THE TOTAL AMOUNT WHICH HAS BEEN RAISED OVER THE YEARS OF OUR CAMPAIGN BY DANIEL’S LIGHT SUPPORTERS AND WHICH HAS BEEN SUBSEQUENTLY DONATED TO CHRISTIES IS
£265,000.00 AT 15 APRIL 2024.
WE THANK YOU ALL!
Unfortunately as a result of illness no future fundraising events are currently being planned.
For those of you who may wish to donate, the ‘Daniels Light’ collection boxes will continue be available in a variety of shops and businesses in the area.
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