Earlier this month we had the pleasure of organising a commemorative bench from a patient who has been visiting us here at The Royal Orthopaedic Hospital (ROH) for two years.

Mick Rodden contacted us after looking out of his side room window at the green space behind our Outpatients Department whilst he was an inpatient with us. He wanted to organise a bench to remember his time with us as well as give back to both patients and staff who utilise the green space for reflection.

Here is a note that Mick wrote to us after the bench was installed. It shows us that giving isn’t just imperative for us to support the ‘added extras’ at ROH, it is something that gives our donors pleasure too.

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Mick said: “ROH. looks after the repair and healing of the body and everyone on the wards trusts the dedication, quality and professionalism of the staff whose sole aim is to get you home feeling far better than when you were admitted. And they do that, they do it because they genuinely care. Everyone from the car park attendant, the cleaners, physios and nurses to the wonderful consultant and the rest of the team are patient-focussed.

“For myself, I have been coming to ROH for two years now, interrupted due to the COVID pandemic. I thought when I was transferred from my local Kettering Northants Hospital in 2019, I would be losing my leg but you have changed all that. I haven’t lost my leg and I have a positive vision for my future, being 70 doesn’t kerb my ambition.

“Mending the physical problems is what you do best, but you also make a difference to the patient’s mental health, the humour, the advice, the positivity, the different characters (crazily funny nurses and health care assistants) who treat and support us all make that difference.

“Donating towards a bench seat or table was an easy choice for me. I just asked the question, and it was done automatically. The charity does so much for the patients and staff wellbeing.

“This seat is something that patients, visitors and all staff can use, just to get away from the ward and relax for a short time whilst in pleasant, quiet surroundings especially in the summer can be an enormous benefit.

“We sometimes forget that the wellbeing of the people who look after us so well is paramount to our own successful healing.

“Thank you all at ROH.”

We would like to thank Mick for his contribution to supporting wellbeing at ROH as well as all of the donors, fundraisers and sponsors who make our work possible.

To donate or contribute towards this cause, simply contact the Fundraising Team via roh.charitablefunds@nhs.net or by calling 0121 685 4379.

We will be hosting our first ever Christmas Market on the 7th December 2021, from 10am – 3pm, raising funds for our Christmas Appeal.

Why not wrap up warm and pop down to the green area outside ROH Outpatients department to pick up some amazing Christmas goodies and gifts. 

We’ve got some fantastic vendors involved who we cant wait to purchase from:

• Pica Pica Glass
• The Wax Tart
• Melissa Bloom Flower Art
• Little Fudge Box
• More Cocoa
• Brockleby’s Pies
• Buenas Burritos
• Jo’s Coffee
• ROH Charity (including Christmas raffle and other fundraising games!)

All vendors will be contributing an incredible 20% of earnings toward our  Christmas Appeal, which supports both patients and staff over the Festive season.

We will also be joined by the ROH Choir  at 12 noon, who will be performing a number of Festive tunes.

Anyone and everyone is welcome to join in the fun, so pop down if you are able. For more information please contact roh.charitablefunds@nhs.net

This year we are hosting our very own Christmas Raffle in order to raise essential funds for our Christmas appeal. Our Christmas appeal supports both patients unable to return home over Christmas as well as the hard working staff across the hospital.

We have been lucky to receive such generous gifts from our community this year and we’ve decided to make it as easy as possible for you all to get involved.

To join simply, text ROHCHRISTMAS to 70215 and follow the instructions to enter. 

We would like to say a huge thank you to all those who have supported us with this initiative, we couldn’t do it without them.

Kaddy Benyon is a poet and former television scriptwriter. She lives in Cambridge with her husband and two children. In November 2020, she began her journey as a patient at The Royal Orthopaedic Hospital when she discovered a lump. Here is her story…

“In November last year, getting changed on the riverbank after my daily swim, I noticed a small lump in my left thigh. At first I thought it was a bite or a bump, but it wasn’t itchy and it didn’t hurt. When it hadn’t gone down after a few weeks, I went to my GP who was concerned enough to refer me for a scan. Two days before Christmas, I had an ultrasound which quickly led to an MRI and then to a CT scan and I was referred to The Royal Orthopaedic Hospital (ROH) for a biopsy which came back inconclusive; the only option was to have surgery to remove my mysterious guest.

“On 24 February 2021, I was admitted to Ward 4 at the height of the most deadly wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. I was a long way from home and unable to have visitors for the duration of my week-long stay. It was a frightening time but would have been more so had I not been cared for by such compassionate, intuitive, playful and encouraging NHS staff.

“I would like to say a great big ‘THANK YOU!’ to every single member of Ward 4 staff who checked my leg, monitored my blood pressure, oxygen levels, sugar levels, who injected me as painlessly as possible, who helped me to the loo, who washed me, fed me, filled and refilled my water jug (sorry, thirsty gal), cleaned my room, changed my sheets, told me about the weather, who smiled at the photo of my children by my bed, gave me morphine, who showed me how to self-inject an anticoagulant into my tummy, who encouraged me out of bed when I couldn’t bend my leg, and who helped me access the Wi-Fi so I could Zoom home. I am especially grateful to the nurse who caught me when I fainted the first time I stood up, and to the crash team who burst in as though we were in an episode of Casualty!

“Once I was well enough to make the journey back to Cambridge, I was greeted by my husband, kids, cats, cards and curry. I made a speedy recovery at home, mostly I think because I was so desperate to get back in that river of mine! I have swum almost daily throughout adulthood, mostly in my local pool. Around six years ago, a friend invited me to swim with her in the river from a small, unassuming club in Newnham she was a member of. I fell hard for swimming in nature, so I joined too. For the first five years, I only swam on the hottest days of summer, often taking my children for play swims. But as the virus began to take hold again last autumn, I felt I couldn’t face another indefinite period without pool swimming, so along with some of the women I had met at the riverbank club (now affectionately known as The Swim Sisters), we decided to see whether we could swim through winter in the river. I was certain I wouldn’t be able to tolerate water any cooler than 17 degrees, but buoyed by companionship and adventure, all of us kept turning up day after dark, rainy day – my own coldest swim being 2.5 degrees on the day I had to start isolating before surgery.

“By March I was able to hobble along the riverbank on my crutches and to watch (and envy) my swimming sisters. At my check-up in April, I was a gazillion miles beyond relieved to learn that the tumour had been benign. And two weeks after that, thanks to my physio, my acupuncturist and of course my cheerleading swimming sisters, I was finally able to get back in the river and resume my daily swims.

“I now have a cracking 8″ scar along my left thigh and a permanent disfigurement, having lost two thirds of one of my quadriceps. I have also had to learn to walk again, to drive, to ride my bike, and of course to swim. Sometimes I need to go slowly as I am liable to cramp in the part of the muscle I still have when I overuse it.

“On Sunday 26 September, some of my swim sisters and I will attempt to swim the 2k stretch of the River Cam between The Orchard at Grantchester and Sheep’s Green near Lammas Land. If you are local and would like to support us in person (or even if you’re not so local but fancy a day trip to Cambridge) please do come to either the start point, the end point, or any of the riverbank along Grantchester Meadows and cheer us along, you’ll be able to spot us by our neon tow bags! We estimate being in the water for about an hour, and we will (hopefully) celebrate our achievement with coffee and cake for all at the finish. My lovely school friend and her partner, who run My Persian Kitchen in Cambridge, are very kindly donating two delicious Persian Love Cakes – they are not to be missed!”

Kaddy raised £1000 in her sponsored open water swim and has worked with the staff on ward 4 to develop a meaninful way to utilise the funds within the department. After much discussion with the ward team, Kaddy and Ward Manager – Yi Kessey, agreed that the funds will be supporting wellbeing facilities for staff on the ward.

These funds have enabled the department to receive revitalised break facilities on Ward 4 where she spent most of her inpatient stay. This included refreshment facilities, a new coffee machine and new smart TV for staff to utilise whilst on their break. We cannot thank Kaddy enough for her fundraising support and for sharing her story with the world.

To share your story or support ROH Charity in any way, contact us on 0121 685 4379 or email roh.charitablefunds@nhs.net. 

Laura Tilley-Hood, Engagement and Wellbeing Officer at ROH, said: “As the Wellbeing Officer for the Trust I am thrilled to see the transformation of Tom’s Wellbeing Room. It is a calming, relaxing space for all colleagues, to enable them to have ten minutes out of their busy day to unwind. Teams across the ROH have worked incredibly hard together to create this much-needed space and I hope everybody has the opportunity to use the room to focus on their wellbeing.”

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On Sunday 5 September colleagues from University Hospitals Birmingham (UHB) and The Royal Orthopaedic Hospital (ROH) joined together for their first-ever cricket match raising funds for both hospitals. ROH team captains, Rajpal Nandra (Research Fellow), James Jones (Research Healthcare Technician) UHB team captains Martin Collard (Head Biomedical Scientist) and Deepak Parasuraman- (Consultant Paediatrician) , drummed up some healthy competition between the two hospitals in order to support the events main goal, raising funds for Children & Young People’s Services across the region.

Teams were made up of consultants, physiotherapists, nurses, finance teams and more. Whilst the match was taking place spectators enjoyed the food, drinks and ice-cream available from the local suppliers who kindly supported this event. Face painting stall and garden games were also available for anyone who wanted to pass the time between games.

Over 250 tickets were sold and we were overjoyed with the turnout on the day (the sunshine certainly came out for us and made it an extra special). Spectators supported the event by purchasing raffle tickets, supporting the tombola and bidding some big money on our silent auction, all of which were items kindly donated to us by our wonderful partners, sponsors and local businesses.

“It was such a fantastic day, everyone was so welcoming and all good sports regardless of the results. It was so nice to do something normal especially after everything we have all been through with the pandemic” Melissa Daly – Porter at Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham and cricket player for UHB.

Team ROH took home the trophy, but in our eyes every player was a winner for taking part. Overall we managed to raise almost £2,000 on the day which will be split 50/50 over both trusts’ Children & Young People’s departments.

“These funds will enable us to take larger strides towards enhancing the care given to patients referred to Children and Young People’s services at ROH as well as give greater support to parents and families too” Monica Allen – ROH Children & Young People’s Services Manager

We would like to say a huge thank you to the following businesses for supporting this event, without whom we would not have raised these vital funds:

 “This is the first event we have been able to support in a safe way despite of the pandemic, so it’s been really special to see people out enjoying themselves whilst supporting both Trusts. It was a great success, we saw engagement from our NHS colleagues, patients, businesses and the public, we couldn’t have asked for anything more. “ Ali Gray – Charity Manager

Thank you to all those to supported the event to make it a success!

Natasha Paczkowski is a patient at The Royal Orthopaedic Hospital (ROH). She lives in Newcastle under Lyme with her daughter and dog, Teddy. In March 2019, she discovered a lump which was later diagnosed as myxoininflammatory fibroblastic sarcoma, a form of cancer. Here is her story…

“One evening I was drying myself after having a bath when I felt a lump the size of a marble at the back of my leg. I thought it was weird but never thought in my wildest dreams it would be anything sinister as I had never heard of sarcoma at that point. As it was the weekend, I put it to the back of my mind. First thing on Monday morning I phoned my GP surgery and spoke with the receptionist who asked for a brief reason why I need to see a doctor. I explained I had found a lump and I needed it checking, but she explained because it wasn’t painful, “it won’t be anything serious so I can offer you an appointment in five weeks’ time.” I accepted and the wait began. 

“In that time, the lump had grown from the size of a marble to the size of an egg and I had gone from not giving it another thought, to googling and finding out about sarcoma and now worrying day and night about what it was. I went in and the GP asked me lots of questions. If it hurt, had I banged it, how long I have noticed it etc. I said I thought it was probably just a cyst but thought it best getting checked out. Right away she said she was referring me to the local cancer centre on their two-week waiting list.

“I went to see my local consultant, who requested I had an MRI just to be sure so the anxious waiting continued. Over three months I underwent three MRI, a CT and PET scans, two lumbar punctures and lots of blood tests before he admitted they had actually run out of tests to perform and he was referring me to The Royal Orthopaedic Hospital (ROH) for a biopsy.

“Unfortunately, the first biopsy come back inconclusive! So, I was told I’d need another biopsy preformed this time under general anaesthetic and I would be an inpatient for five days. The anxiety was high as I’m also a single mum to a child with special needs so preparing her for me leaving and being away from her was hard on top of the anxiety over the surgery. The surgery went well, however, and I was discharged after five days with a 3cm wound to my knee.

“On the second day of a holiday in Wales, I got the call from my team nurse. “Natasha, we have the results and I’m afraid its cancer.” It didn’t come as a surprise to me. We arranged for me to come into clinic the week after and I ended the phone call in a daze, not knowing if I should just carry on the holiday with my daughter as normal while inside my head was spinning.

“A week later I was given a consultant: the fantastic Scott Evans, who has such a manor about him he fills you with confidence, reassurance and has a general caring nature about him.

“In September I was taken in for removal of some swollen nodes and another wait for the results. By this point I was getting frustrated and scared. I now knew it was cancer and I’d had it since March when I found the lump and we were now six months in with no treatment. A week passed and I received a letter to come in the following week. I arrived at that appointment just ready to discuss treatment and get things going. Scott told me he was surprised to find that the swelling in my lymph nodes was actually the cancer that had spread.

“I sat there in a daze of shock. For some reason I hadn’t been as concerned with the lymph node swelling like I had those months before with the original lump. Scott explained this now changed things as the treatment would be much more complex than simply cutting it away.

“Two weeks passed and we were now in October the frustration and anxiety mounting knowing I still had this thing in me growing by the day. I saw Scott who had consulted with another leading surgeon in London who had agreed to treat me and have a one-of-a-kind surgery at The Royal Marsden Hospital in London. This surgery was called isolated limb perfusion or (ILP) for short. By the time I’d had a scan in London and the initial consultation it was now November by the time I’d had the date for this surgery.

“In January, Scott explained that unfortunately, IPL surgery wasn’t successful and that I would need the tumour cut out in a surgery called limb salvage surgery. However, this time I’d need to be cut from my groin to ankle with a hole around my knee cut out where the tumour was and I’d need to be in hospital for a month.

I had the tumour cut away in three separate surgeries, after the second surgery, I received partial results from pathology. That was enough for Scott to confidently say there was no more cancer left.

“The reconstructive surgery was then brought forward a week to reconstruct where the cancer took over. This was a nine-hour surgery due to the fact I had lost three muscles to the cancer and they had to fill the hole the tumour had made. I remember when I was waiting to be put to sleep, Scott come into the room and asked how I was feeling, to reassure me I was in safe hands etc. I asked him how many people were waiting to work on me and he said around 15 people! I still can’t quite believe I had that many people helping to save my life in that one surgery alone. ROH were there for me again and I had Carol, a Macmillan councillor, to talk through my worries and help me through and who continues to be there for me to this day.

“I look back on the last 18 months and I can see how strong I have been. Learning to walk three times, multiple surgeries and third-degree burns from radiotherapy have been extremely hard to deal with but I recently celebrated being one year cancer-free! I had a tattoo done with the saying “with pain comes strength” because if I can take anything from this it truly is the strength that I never knew I had. I don’t think I would have gotten through it without Scott and the wonderful staff at ROH making sure I feel 100% supported and I felt reassured through the whole process that they truly do have the best interests of their patients at the forefront of their work.”

Natasha fundraised for us in 2021 and raised over £500 in support of the oncology ward in which she stayed.

All the funds raised will go towards supporting the ward with initiatives to support patient experience as well as supporting families and carers of those who visit the ward. Not forgetting providing specialist training, equipment and knowledge to the staff on the ward. 

Chelsea Butler is a patient at The Royal Orthopaedic Hospital (ROH). She has hip dysplasia and was diagnosed at ROH after experiencing pain since childhood.

Here she tells us a little bit about her story and why she chose to raise money for The Royal Orthopaedic Hospital Charity by organising an NHS Big Tea event.

“Hip pain and problems were common for me having experienced them since an infant. For over 20 years, I was repeatedly seen by doctors and it was deemed to be hypermobility, growing pains or fibromyalgia. When I got to 16, I was completing my GCSEs and then A-Levels, trying to stay active at clubs such as sailing and rowing when my hip pain intensified. At age 24, my rheumatologist at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital referred me to be seen by a hip surgeon at ROH, Mr Politis. I met Mr Politis for the first time in 2017, not sure what to expect. I was promptly scanned and provided with pain relief. From there, scans showed acetabular retroversion and femoral retroversion. As shocking as the news was, I felt a huge weight lifted off me from being listened, trusted and respected and my pain and symptoms taken seriously.

“In 2018, I had my right Birmingham Interlocking Pelvic Osteotomy, also known as a TPO. I was amazed to discover that the type of surgery I was having was created at this very hospital (ROH). Having part of your pelvis cut in three places and realigned is painful and the recovery is challenging but I have no regrets. 

“In February 2019, I had the metalwork removed followed by having left TPO surgery later that year. All of this was fitted around completing my Master’s Degree at University of Warwick.

“2020 saw an abrupt halting of regular services for patients like myself due to COVID-19, however my surgeon reassured me and I still felt involved in my care and planning during this time. I was able to have my right hip scanned again in June and from there, we discovered a possible labral tear. In September 2020, I had the metalwork removed from my left hip and I felt completely at ease with how thorough ROH were with planning elective surgeries during a global pandemic. On the ward, I met another ‘young hippie’; we remain in contact and will be meeting up soon. In November 2020, I was able to sign for a right arthroscopy of my right hip; however, surgeries had once again been postponed due to the pandemic.

“Heading into 2021, my surgeon once again kept me involved in my care, arranging a left hip scan (which sadly also showed a possible labral tear), staying in contact and providing care and support for me during a time that my hips were being particularly problematic, even coming to see me on a Sunday during an admission. I was also saddened to hear that pressures were so great that staff were being redeployed to ITU wards and other hospitals to help ease pressure.

“In March, my surgery was able to go ahead and I had my right arthroscopy for a labral repair and cam debridement. I found the recovery for this surgery tough and there have been some very challenging times. On the other hand, the support I have had from the Physiotherapy Team (Alison from Hydrotherapy has the highest level of patience) and regular contact with Mr Politis is getting me through.

“It can be difficult to have hip dysplasia diagnosed and delays are very frustrating but I felt completely listened to and respected at ROH. The care I have received from the Young Adult Hip Department has been outstanding and I believe they deserve recognition for the amazing work they do. Misconceptions are that young people can’t have hip problems or hip replacements but this is not true. There was one occasion when I attended an outpatient appointment to see Mr Politis and discussed research available regarding hip surgeries and treatments. He took the time to consider these with me so that I could come to a decision and I never felt rushed despite it being a busy clinic. During all of my outpatient appointments, I have never felt time-pressured, nor have I felt there to be an ‘expert vs patient’ imbalance. My views are always considered and I have been given the confidence to challenge and explore alternative options so that I feel assured of the treatment I was going ahead with.

“Because of the outstanding care I have received from the Young Adult Hip Department alongside physiotherapy, and what with the extremely challenging fifteen months so far, I wanted to give something back to a hospital that has given me so much. I also feel passionate about raising awareness about young adult hip problems because early detection is key. Being a young adult going through hip surgeries and treatment has had its lows of pain, recoveries, judgements and worries but it’s also had its highs of making new friends, discovering hip communities and support networks I never knew existed. This is why I held an NHS Big Tea event, with money raised going to The Royal Orthopaedic Hospital Charity. Lots of businesses came forward with offers to help and I have been overwhelmed by the generosity of donations.

I hope that with the money raised will help staff such as my surgeon with their wellbeing, to show we really do appreciate their care and time and to help patients like me.”

Chelsea and her team of helpers raised over £648 from her fundraising event. These funds will go towards our general fund who actively support all departments in the hospital, including the Young Adult Hip service.