November 22nd 2023.
For children such as Issy, Eva and Teddy, the Royal Marsden Hospital has been a literal lifesaver. Teddy Lichten was only four when he was diagnosed with high-risk neuroblastoma, a rare and aggressive childhood cancer. It had invaded most of his body and taken over more than half of his bone marrow. Teddy’s family were told he had a 40-50% chance of long-term survival.
The next 12 months brought a whirlwind of urgent hospital visits, with Teddy admitted to the Royal Marsden for weeks at a time. It was a 40 minute drive from his home in Hassocks, West Sussex, and his parents Kat and Alistair were left ‘shattered’ by the news. They had to be at the hospital by 8.30am every day, and Teddy had induction chemotherapy, two stem cell transplants, and countless sessions of radiotherapy.
Kat recalls how Teddy was ‘frightened’ and ‘very low’ ahead of his surgery at Royal Marsden, but once at the hospital, things soon changed. The staff all got to know Teddy and his family, and they knew what was normal for him and what was a sign he was poorly.
Today Teddy still routinely goes for appointments at The Royal Marsden as he undergoes immunotherapy. But his home away from home is now facing an uncertain future, as the children’s cancer services at the hospital could shut. This could mean relocating kids to St George’s Hospital in Tooting, nearly nine miles away, or the Evelina Children’s Hospital in Lambeth, an hour drive away. Petrol costs, traffic and congestion charges – plus the dramatic change in scene for the children – are key fears for parents like Kat.
The lack of a Level 3 children’s intensive care unit at the Royal Marsden is the reason behind the potential move. Due to the very low numbers of children who would require the space at the Royal Marsden, the hospital couldn’t house an ICU on site.
Kat has joined forces with other outraged parents to create the #HearTheMarsdenKids campaign, in a bid to overturn the decision. They fear new wards simply won’t match the care and attention they already receive. Rebecca Gilligan, whose daughter Eva was diagnosed with a Wilms’ Tumour when she was just 18 months old, says her daughter wouldn’t be alive without the Royal Marsden Hospital. Eva has had over 400 different procedures, 40 rounds of chemotherapy, two major surgeries, three minor surgeries, and two rounds of radiotherapy at the site.
Rebecca and other families are worried about the proposed plans, as travelling into central London could be costly and time consuming. Eva has grown up with the staff at the Royal Marsden, and it feels familiar and safe for her.
The families that use the Marsden are desperate to keep their hospital family and the outstanding care they receive. We can only hope that the NHS listens to the #HearTheMarsdenKids campaign and reconsiders the move of services.
For children like Issy, Eva, and Teddy, the Royal Marsden Hospital has been a literal lifesaver. Teddy Lichten was just four years old when he was diagnosed with high-risk neuroblastoma, a rare and aggressive childhood cancer. His family were told he had only a 40-50% chance of long-term survival.
To begin his treatment, Teddy had to stay in the hospital for up to 10 days every three weeks for four months. His parents, Kat and Alistair, said they were “shattered” by the news, and admitted they didn’t understand the reality of childhood cancer until it happened to them.
Kat recalled that Teddy was frightened and very low ahead of his surgery, but that changed once he arrived at the hospital. The staff got to know Teddy and his family, and they knew what was normal for him and what was a sign that he was unwell.
Though Teddy is now undergoing immunotherapy, his home away from home at the Royal Marsden could be in jeopardy as the hospital’s children’s cancer services could close. This would mean that kids on the ward would have to be relocated to either St George’s Hospital in Tooting or the Evelina Children’s Hospital in Lambeth, both of which are a long way from Teddy’s home in West Sussex.
Kat and other parents fear that the move could cost them in petrol costs and London congestion charges, plus the dramatic change in environment for the children who have come to love the Royal Marsden.
The reason behind the potential move is the lack of a Level 3 children’s intensive care unit at the Royal Marsden. The NHS has said that such a ward is necessary to minimise any danger caused by transferring children with cancer between hospitals.
In response, Kat has joined forces with other outraged parents and started the #HearTheMarsdenKids campaign. Families who use the Marsden are worried that new wards won’t match the care and attention they already receive.
Rebecca Gilligan’s daughter, Eva, is a good example of this. Eva was 18 months old when she was diagnosed with a Wilms’ Tumour, and has since had over 400 different procedures, 40 rounds of chemotherapy, two major surgeries, three minor surgeries, and two rounds of radiotherapy. Rebecca says that her daughter wouldn’t be here today without the Royal Marsden, and that Eva is very sad about the potential move.
The Royal Marsden has been a literal lifesaver for countless children like Issy, Eva, and Teddy. The move of its children’s cancer services could have a dramatic effect on the families who rely on it, and could mean the difference between life and death for some.
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