March 2015 Hull Daily Mail
The Daisy Appeal has given me a future. It has told me that everything will be ok.
Standing in the school play ground Andrew Bourne faced the terror of thinking he would not survive to see his children grow up. He had been diagnosed with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma after finding a lump on his neck the day after his 42nd Birthday. Mr Bourne who has a 5 year old son and a 2 year old daughter was diagnosed with the condition after undergoing a Pet-Ct scan at the Jack Brignall Centre in Cottingham. Now a second scan only 3 months later has shown all the cancerous hot spots have disappeared, making Mr Bourne the latest patient to benefit from the work of the Daisy Appeal. “To have this facility right here at Castle Hill in this beautiful new building, with its fantastic staff is just incredible” Mr Bourne said.
Janet and I were invited to the launch of the appeal in 2002 by Clive Aber and Peter Lee founding trustees, and friends of ours. Today in 2018 we are still involved and supporting it in its final stages of development. Clive Aber, Peter Lee and of course Nick Stafford had the vision to start what seemed an impossible journey requiring at least 16 million Pounds to complete the programme. But Clive told the story of how when he was doing his round of the ward, said to a patient how much easier things would be if he had a particular piece of equipment, by the time he got to the end of his ward visit, a gentleman said “I will give you the funds for that”. Clive said the generosity of Hull people ensured that impossible targets can be reached. I knew the man he was talking about, A Naval veteran and war hero of the Second World War. Clive pressed me to join the board of trustees but I believed that Andrew my son would do a much better job.I have been proved right. Andrew joined the board and I am immensely proud of him, and the board of trustees for the work it has done to help raise the funds and organise the business plan to achieve such wonderful outcomes.
Of course we as a family and through our charitable trust have been able to play our part. Andrew has cycled from Lands End to John O Groats. He has also cycled across Europe travelling through the Pyrenees. We also collectively gave a smart car for a raffle, this was an attempt to broaden awareness and include North Lincolnshire who use Castle Hills facilities, but are not aware of the Daisy appeal, or what goes on at this side of the Humber. My Rotary Club have also done their bit with Golf days etc, all adding to the cause.
Tony H