Rugby woman and her Arden's Angels raise £50k for cancer services at UHCW and St Cross

Through a tandem skydive and a string of other imaginative activities in the local community, Rugbeian Tracie Mills and her Arden’s Angels have fund-raised a staggering £50,000 for cancer services both at University Hospital Coventry and the Hospital of St Cross.

More than £20,000 of this total is now being used for specialist chemotherapy chairs which will be delivered in the next few weeks.

During treatment, chemotherapy patients can be sat in chairs for up to nine hours, three times a week.

The new chairs, which offer first-rate comfort and safety features, will make sure patients are kept as comfortable as possible while they receive treatment.

Tracie, who was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2013 and has been receiving treatment at the Arden Cancer Centre, Breast Clinic 2 and also Ward 35 (cancer services) at University

Hospital, said: “I have had a great experience and treatment throughout my cancer care and am committed to giving something back to all those that continue to help me and future

patients.

“We have donated £20,000 to the Arden Centre and all the funds that the Arden’s Angels continue to raise will support UHCW Charity and cancer services too.

“COVID has meant that we have had to cancel almost all of our events since March, but we are continuing to fundraise through a weekly bonus ball raffle and we are working with our

supporters to raise funds for UHCW Charity.”

Arden’s Angels have done incredible work fund-raising prior to COVID-19 pandemic and have continued to fundraise with socially distanced bingo and a further sky dives are planned in the future.

Jo O’Sullivan, UHCW Charity director, said: “Tracie and her team of Arden’s Angels are an inspiration. Tracie has not let cancer stop her – she was determined to raise funds to make things better for our patients at the Arden Centre and they smashed their original total of £1,000!

“Now the Angels are raising funds to help cancer patients who will be treated in the new Haematology and Oncology Day Unit in Rugby and Tracie is determined to reach £100,000.

“Tracie has incurable cancer and continues to receive palliative treatment, yet has spent so much precious time raising funds for our charity to help fellow cancer patients – thank you just

isn’t enough.”

To find out how you can support cancer services at UHCW NHS Trust call 024 7696 6913 or visit www.uhcwcharity.org