This year Branch End Surgery will be donating the proceeds to help Oliver Macklam raise as much money as possible for Ward 1B at the RVI.

Raffle tickets can be purchased from reception at £1 per strip.

Olivers story:

Five year old Oliver Macklam, patient at Branch End Surgery, was diagnosed with a rare form of brain tumour, an Ependymoma tumour, which is thought to only affect thirty to forty people a year in the UK.

The Broomley First School pupil underwent ten hours of brain surgery at the RVI in Newcastle to remove the tumour, following which he was cared for by staff in the intensive care unit and then Ward 1B
– a children’s neuroscience unit.

Whilst being on Ward 1B Oliver’s dad, David, noticed how short of basic things they are as well as how few toys, games and things were available to help make the sick children’s lives that little bit easier while they are in hospital. So he made a decision to “try and give something back to those that help all the kids with Cancer in our local hospital and two charities which do amazing work in keeping the spirits of both the kids and parents alive”.

Oliver then flew out to Jacksonville, Florida to receive Proton radiotherapy at the University of Florida Health Proton Therapy Institute. The therapy targets any small remaining particles of the tumour, it is not available to children in the UK, but Oliver’s treatment was funded by the NHS.

You may have read about the fundraising idea to cycle, walk or run the 4,154 mile distance between Newcastle and Jacksonville to raise money for Ward 1B at the RVI, as well as two other children’s charities – CLIC Sargent and The Sick Children’s Trust.

Branch End Surgery would like donate the proceeds of this year’s Christmas Hamper raffle to help Oliver raise as much money as possible for Ward 1B at the RVI.

Raffle tickets can be purchased from reception for £1 per strip