A TEAM of local nurses swapped their scrubs for something more colourful as they raised money for Cure Leukaemia.
Nurses and health care assistants from Ward 625 at the Queen Elizabeth (QE) Hospital accompanied a 21-year-old blood cancer patient round the 5km Colour Run course in a bid to raise over £1,000 for the Birmingham-based charity.
The group of 15 nurses from the QE’s Haematology ward put their best feet forward with local cancer patient Fiona Codd to give something back to Cure Leukaemia – the charity whose funds they see help blood cancer patients and save lives every day.
Fiona, from Sutton Coldfield, was treated at the QE following her acute myeloid leukaemia diagnosis in November 2013.
Now in remission, she took to the starting line with some of the nurses and doctors supported by the charity who ‘helped her through her battle’.
Speaking about the nurses’ inspiration to take part in the race which sees participants covered with coloured powder at each kilometre mark, nurse Maneeba Khalid said: “Being diagnosed with leukaemia is not easy.
“Myself and the rest of the team on Ward 625 have seen many patients lose their battle with leukaemia and have also seen the harrowing effect that it has on their loved ones who visit them day in, day out.
“We know first-hand the importance of the funding needed, to provide specialist research nurses and new pioneering treatments.
“Although the Color Run was a lot of fun for our team, it was our small way of making a difference to help save lives.”
And, while the race is over, Fiona and the nurses are urging local people to continue to dig deep and donate via the nurses’ JustGiving page at www.justgiving.com/625Skittles or Fiona’s online page at http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/team/Fiona-Laura
