A grateful patient, who’s dedicated hours to raising funds for the King George and Queen’s Hospitals Charity, brought cakes for our staff who aided her recovery to say thank you.

Her visit, on Wednesday 19 July, marked seven months to the day that she was admitted to Queen’s Hospital with a benign brain tumour.

Kate, 36, spent six days in our hospital just before Christmas 2016, following an operation to remove the tumour. She was delighted to be discharged on Christmas Eve, allowing her to spend Christmas with her family, in particular her three-year-old son Max.

She said: “I was so grateful to the staff as they looked after me so well, even small things like the way they shaved my hair for my operation, in a way that could easily be disguised. It might not seem like much, but long hair can be important to women, I found it so caring.

“That’s why I’m determined to raise as much as I can for the hospital’s charity, to be split between Sahara B ward, where they looked after me, and neurology. It was lovely to come back on the ward and see all the staff who looked after me, and thank them personally for everything they did, with cakes!”

After visiting our staff on the ward, Kate was on hand to raise more money for our charity by helping run a tombola stall in the hospital’s atrium.

Since her recovery, Kate has pledged to take part in several running challenges to raise funds for our hospital. Her aim is to complete 47 miles, the distance between Colchester Hospital, where she lives, and Queen’s Hospital, where she was transferred for the specialist neurological care she needed.

So far she has completed four 10k events, including in Felsted, on Sunday 9 July, and Newham on Sunday 2 July. The keen runner will now start training for two longer events this October, a 10 mile race in Tiptree and the Birmingham half marathon.

Senior Sister Maria Curtin was delighted to see Kate back on our ward, especially as she could see how well she had recovered.

She said: “When she came to us, she was extremely unwell, so it as great to see her so well recovered. She looks marvellous.

“I remember her stay well and she was so happy to be able to go home on Christmas Eve to spend it with her little boy.”

So far, Kate has raised £550 for our charity, which will be used to improve services for future patients.

And her dedication has rubbed off on Max too, who has declared he wants to be a doctor!

Pictured above is Kate and staff on the ward with the cakes. Maria Curtin is pictured on the left, next to Kate.