Family donates £900 to Children’s Ward to say thank you

26 February 2018

Knitting, busking and baking cakes – the family of a 14-month-old boy have been busy fundraising for the Children’s Ward at Telford’s Princess Royal Hospital as a thank you for the care that he has received.

Three generations of the Evans family, from Market Drayton, helped to raise a fantastic £900 for the ward in the Shropshire Women & Children’s Centre, where little Freddie Evans has been having treatment for kidney problems.

Mum Gemma Evans explained: “Freddie was born with four kidneys with multiple tubes – it’s  called double duplex kidney – and often those tubes can become blocked and infected. Freddie has been in and out of the Children’s Ward to be treated and the care that he has received has been so good. Often we can be here three to five days at a time, so we are very grateful to the doctors and staff who have just been brilliant.”

Freddie’s great grandmother Mary Evans said it had been a real family effort to raise the funds for the ward as a thank you. Mary and Freddie’s granny Jane Evans have been knitting and selling off their creations, as well as holding cake sales. Freddie’s uncle,  George Szczadylo, also drummed up funds by busking with his saxophone.

Mary said: “This is our way of saying a big thank you for the care that Freddie has had. We would also like to thank Barclays Bank who match-funded us, bringing the total to £900.”

Lisa Gilks, Children’s Ward Manager at the Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust (SaTH) which runs the PRH, said: “We are so grateful for this very kind donation by Freddie’s family, and would like to thank all of them for their fantastic efforts. We promise that we will put the funds to very good use, and the plan is to use it for our teenage patients to keep them occupied while they are here with us.”