Meet Helen Cooper and Isobel Merrisson. Between them, they have over 23 years of nursing experience working with children with cancer – mostly on Kamran’s Ward at the Oxford Children’s Hospital.

 

Thanks to kind support of our charity donations, we have been able to fund new roles for Helen and Isobel, as Paediatric Solid Tumour Clinical Nurse Specialists.

 

This long title reflects a simple goal – to hold the hands of families with children going through cancer treatment. It’s a subject they are so passionate about so we asked them to tell us all about it:

 

Helen and Isobel told us:

 

“We’re so excited about this much-needed new role! We will be a single point of call to help navigate the complexities of children’s cancer care – providing tailored and personal support for the families of over 60 babies and children with solid tumour cancers.

 

“These young patients live across the whole of the Thames Valley region and their care can be really complex – with multiple treatments at different specialist hospitals and radiotherapy centres – and numerous clinicians and therapists.

 

“So we’ll be on hand to answer all those questions parents have, big and small, to help them fully understand their child’s care and provide practical and emotional support. The families we work with are so pleased to hear about this new service!

 

“Our hospitals provide really specialist care, but at a deeply emotional and draining time it can be very hard to fully understand what’s going on, and having us on hand to help them through will transform the support they receive.

 

“We’re so excited about these new roles! These children are the best of us, amazing little people who are so strong and brave."

"They and their parents become like family and we feel privileged to be here for them and are grateful for the charity’s support to make this happen.”

 

Tamsin Rawlings, Head of Major Gifts at Oxford Hospitals Charity, has been working with donors keen to fund this important step forward.

She told us: “Facing a cancer diagnosis is already a very stressful time for families and uncertainty around treatment options only adds to this anxiety. 

 

“Isobel and Helen have the specialist expertise to coordinate care and work really closely with families in a truly holistic way, addressing emotional, social and physical needs.

“Our thanks go to all our donors who allow us to fund such important work. A special mention to Risk Management Security Services, long-term supporters who have provided significant funding towards this project.”

 

Hazel Murray, Head of Programme at the charity added: “This is a really big step forward and we know it will have such a positive impact on these young patients and their families.”

 

Please help us support vital projects like this across the Children’s Hospital