| The Robbie Anderson Cancer Trust |
 |
 |
 |
|
The Robbie Anderson Cancer Trust was set up in December 2005 by 13 year old Robbie to improve the quality of life for young people spending long periods of time on the children's cancer ward. Robbie knew his cancer was terminal and facing his second (and last) Christmas in hospital, he set about fundraising for a large plasma tv screen for his ward. He wanted the children on the oncology ward to be able to do what everyone else was doing - playing games and watching Christmas films with their families. On December 24th it was fixed to the wall in the Day Room. Sadly, ten weeks later, Robbie passed away. Robbie's legacy is a Trust that aims to provide a facility where all children are treated in age-appropriate surroundings. Cancer is a battle that must be fought on all fronts - the psychological fight is in many ways as important as the physical care. Robbie's time in hospital was made so much worse by the lack of any facilities for his age group. The focus was on much younger children,down to infant-sized tables and chairs in the Day Room and not much else but Disney DVDs to watch. While his life hung in the balance he was placed in either a room with Mr Men mobiles hanging from the ceiling or in a crowded 6 bedded ward decorated with cartoon characters. The old fashioned tv's on tables battled for space with life-saving blood products and chemotherapy machinery. There was absolutely no privacy for parents or their children. This, coupled with the sense of being in a nursery situation, Robbie found hard to bear. Our AimsHis Trust is pledged to continue their support of the Children's Oncology Ward at Leicester Royal Infirmary and aims to work towards providing a facility where all children are treated in age-appropriate surroundings, with particular focus on teenagers. The proposed unit will cost £1.4 million to build but will be a centre of excellence with clearly defined spaces for each age group. The Robbie Anderson Cancer Trust is proud to be supporting University Hospitals Leicester in their campaign to provide a unit in Leicester that will make a significant difference to the lives of all young people fighting cancer. Registered Charity Number: 1125466 Latest Events |
Not only have Robbie's warmth and cheerfulness lightened up my days, but he remarkably recovered these characteristics even in difficult times. At the same time he has shown a lot of initiative and made a serious and enthusiastic effort to learn. The admiration Robbie inspires made me think of school as a place where teachers and pupils can learn from one another.