Staff from the Anaesthetics Department at the Ulster Hospital recently hosted a charity ball in memory of a much-loved colleague who passed away this year from Pancreatic Cancer.
Organised by Consultant Anaesthetists, Dr Nathan Oliver, Dr Damien Hughes, Dr Cristina Yap and Dr Leanne Laverty, the event raised an incredible £14,500, which has been donated to the Northern Ireland Pancreatic Cancer Association (NIPANC) to support vital research and awareness campaigns.
The ball brought together healthcare professionals and supporters from across the Region to remember their colleague and support a vital cause.
Consultant Anaesthetist, Dr Nathan Oliver who was one of the event’s organisers, expressed his gratitude to everyone who attended saying, “We in the Anaesthetic Department were very keen to organise an evening in honour of our good friend and colleague who sadly passed away from Pancreatic cancer during the year. We are hugely thankful to the sponsors and to everyone who came along to support this event, together we managed to raise over £14,000 for NIPANC which is just incredible.”
Delighted to receive the donation, NIPANC Chairman, Ivan McMinn, MBE stated, “I would like to say a massive thank you to those in the South Eastern Trust. This donation will make a massive difference, from something so tragic, we will be able to use these funds to improve the journey for Pancreatic Cancer patients, we have lots of ways we are going to do that.
“It is crucial to raise awareness of Pancreatic Cancer, we can help save lives. Research can save lives in the future, but by raising awareness and the importance of making the symptoms known, will lead to earlier diagnosis.”
Consultant Anaesthetist, Dr Damien Hughes added, “It was fantastic to hold a happy remembrance of a lovely colleague who we unfortunately lost to Pancreatic Cancer earlier this year. We felt by arranging the charity ball, this was a fitting way to remember her in a happy way, but also in recognition that we could do something to help other patients and their families going through a Pancreatic Cancer journey. Indeed it was also about helping patients in the future by assisting NIPANC to fund research and increase awareness of Pancreatic Cancer across the region.”
