Hebburn family share their gratitude to NHS staff as they star in heart-warming Newcastle Hospitals campaign

Celebrating the unforgettable people and moments, that form unique personal bonds between everyday people and staff members across all job roles at the Freeman Hospital, Royal Victoria Infirmary, Northern Centre for Cancer Care and across the community, the new campaign stars real-life patients, their families and the doctors, nurses, porters, midwives, cleaners and maintenance staff who proudly cared for them during their time in one of our hospitals.

The charity aims for the campaign to raise awareness of the excellent care provided within Newcastle Hospitals and to celebrate the unparalleled spirit, compassion, and character in the wider hospital community and our region.

Newcastle Hospitals Charity acts to improve the overall experience of the entire hospital community through a number of initiatives, from supporting the funding of cutting-edge research to improvements and enhancements to communal areas and, through this, creating an environment where the hospital community can focus on what matters most.

Hebburn family Lawrie, Victoria and Georgia Himsworth star in the campaign as they know first hand about the work Newcastle Hospitals do.

Read South Tyneside's news on the go with our free email newsletters - bringing the headlines to your inbox. Catch up on the day's news and sport and enjoy even more from your Gazette. Visit our website here to find out more and sign up.

The couple were devastated when their 14-month-old daughter was diagnosed with Langerhans cell histiocytosis - a rare disorder that can damage tissue or cause lesions to form in one or more places in the body.

The couple are grateful to all the staff who helped looked after Georgia in particular Kayleigh Leung who worked on the oncology ward at the RVI.

They said: "She always made us laugh and made Georgia laugh when nobody else could even make her smile.

"When you see Kayleigh with her it just helped us raise spirits a bit. She had a million and one things on her list to do but she took the time to sit and be there for us."

READ MORE: 'Wave of Light' event returns to mark Baby Loss Awareness Week

Commenting on the campaign, Newcastle Hospitals Charity’s Director, Teri Bayliss, said: "It is a key aim of our Charity to support the communities around our hospitals. We understand that being a visitor to one of our hospitals can come very unexpectedly, and we have made it our mission to support patients, their families and staff during these times for many years now”.

“It is important to celebrate the unforgettable bonds that give people hope, strength, happiness and compassion when they need it most, and this campaign is a powerful way to shed some light on how, under the right conditions, our regional identity serves to strengthen that.” Added Teri. 

For more information about Newcastle Hospital’s Charity, visit: https://charity.newcastle-hospitals.nhs.uk/