News

Make cancer facilities available for locals

Published

10 years ago

August 5, 2014

nhs CANCER can be one of the most devastating illnesses in the modern world. Writing as the husband of a wonderful young woman who was recently a victim of cancer, this freelancer knows first-hand the pain, destruction, anguish, loss, loneliness, helplessness and fears that cancer brings with it. As The Herald recently detailed, local charity Adam’s Bucketful of Hope is campaigning for a Cancer Day Unit to be installed in Withybush Hospital and thus provide local residents with nearby cancer facilities – a campaign The Herald itself is staunchly backing. Having had to face the battle against cancer head-on when my wife was diagnosed, I realise the importance of what they are campaigning for. Life with cancer is a life of appointments, time-frames and regimes; basically a life of routines – and having professional support and guidance in these kinds of scenarios is invaluable. And all aspects of the process come under this same umbrella of professional guidance and support; doctors, nurses, wards, beds, drugs, treatment facilities etc. these are all vital components in the fight against cancer. These days it is easy to have an apathetic attitude towards cancer and attribute it to being an illness that tends to only afflict the older generations in the twilight of their lives. My wife was 24 years young when she lost her battle. Cancer doesn’t care what age you are, where you come from, what your lifestyle is, it can affect anyone, at any time, of any age. Period. From rudimental experience I can honestly profess that were it not for the cancer services and facilities near to home whilst my wife was unwell, I seriously don’t think I could have coped. There is no manual, no ‘Idiot’s Guide’, no training seminars you can attend to make you an expert in dealing with this sort of thing. It’s different for everyone. It’s always different. But it is important to provide patients, as well as those on the periphery, with as much support as possible. Chemotherapy treatments, for example, can last a number of hours; blood tests must be run to check immune systems. Additionally there is any manner of drug concoctions that patients will need to be prescribed and as such they will require facilities close by. When my wife was ill we were fortunate that the hospital was pretty close (around a 20 drive). But eventually even this became a struggle as she was almost perpetually in a great deal of pain. For patients having to travel several hours from home to their nearest facilities this is untenable and can prove extremely traumatic. My wife at one point was taking between 9-15 tablets 4 times a day. These had to be done at specific timeframes, so sorting out meal times became a very regimental process. New drugs would need to be collected regularly, usually biweekly and a lot of the time we were reliant on the hospital to prescribe the right drugs, as we sometimes struggled to keep up with the number of different pills she required. There were further challenges as her illness wore on and she became less and less mobile. Moving around became cumbersome and stairs became a big problem. Eventually she had to use a wheelchair to get around, which provided more issues and yet more cost for her, myself and her family. Money was also a big worry – I wasn’t working whilst she was ill and eventually her mother decided to stop work as well to care for her daughter. I had a bit in savings and was supplementing this with sick pay from my job, but the well soon ran dry. Luckily the cancer unit assigned us a social worker who was responsible for sorting out grants for us, checks to cover transport costs and sorting my wife’s application for benefits (as she was unable to work) to save us the hassle of having to do it ourselves. It was difficult for those around her/us too – her parents and family were incredible and we would often takes turns comforting each other, updating each other on drug regime’s and appointment times and generally just being there for one another. Cancer can be an expensive illness, for patients, their families and for the health service. This is why facilities such as these are vital in the struggle – it is beneficial to everybody and helps with practical matters, such as money, that patients and their families don’t even consider until they become issues. But the health service sectors business is saving lives and without investing the necessary money in the fight against cancer the battle is going to be very one-sided. Facilities such as the ones proposed at Withybush Hospital are imperative to giving patients a fighting chance of survival, or at the very least helping to prolong their lives somewhat. My wife’s original survival prognosis was 4-5 months, due to the support and facilities she was given she fought for 11 months, and I will always be grateful that we had that extra time together. She deserved it. All patients do.

Crime

Sentencing delay for woman who killed baby Mabli in crash

Published

3 mins ago

November 26, 2024

Court Reporter

THE SENTENCING of a woman who killed a baby in a crash outside Withybush Hospital has been postponed after she suffered a suspected heart attack.

Bridget Carole Curtis, 70, of Begelly, was scheduled to appear at Swansea Crown Court on Friday after admitting to causing the death of eight-month-old Mabli Cariad Hall by dangerous driving.

Mabli sustained severe traumatic brain injuries when she was struck by a white BMW while in her pram at the hospital’s front entrance on June 1 last year. She was airlifted to the University Hospital of Wales in Cardiff and later transferred to Bristol Royal Hospital for Children, where she died in the early hours of June 25.

Curtis was reported to have suffered a suspected heart attack on the morning of her sentencing and is currently being treated in hospital. The hearing has been adjourned and will resume on December 5.

News

Saundersfoot volunteers turn washed-up plastic into beach art

Published

17 mins ago

November 26, 2024

Tom Sinclair

HUNDREDS of pieces of plastic, once potential pollutants, found a new purpose on Pembrokeshire’s shores as they were transformed into a striking fish-shaped artwork. The temporary installation appeared on Saundersfoot beach, created by volunteers from Saundersfoot RNLI and Julie Davies of The Beach HeART Project.

Originally planning an early morning beach clean, the group found the high tide had left little to collect aside from a few cigarette butts. This gave them an opportunity to get creative, using Julie’s collection of 362 previously gathered plastic items to craft the unique design.

Julie said: “It became an instant talking point for beachgoers, many of whom were amazed by the variety of items used. These included bottle tops, sports drink lids, shotgun cartridges, sun lotion pumps, straws, ice cream spoons, fishing line and rope, foam bullets, sand toys, golf tees, cider keg caps, printer ink caps, a Barbie arm, Kinder eggs, a plastic carrot, and even a 2007 lobster tag from Maine!”

SPARKING AWARENESS

The artwork not only captured attention but also ignited discussions about ocean pollution.

Julie added: “We had some fun debating how anatomically correct the fish was—not helped by dogs who came to investigate and tried to steal the broken balls we used. It was rewarding to see beachgoers taking away even the smallest pieces of plastic they found on their walk.”

FUNDRAISING WITH FISH AND CHIPS

The RNLI Saundersfoot branch is known for its creative initiatives, and its next event continues this tradition. A Fish and Chip Lunch fundraiser will take place at The Hean in Saundersfoot this Friday (Nov 29).

Tickets are priced at £15, covering fish, chips, peas, unlimited bread and butter, and a choice of tea, coffee, or squash. The event will feature a raffle, table quiz, and nautical background music.

Reservations can be made by contacting James on 07824 320145.

Photo caption: Creative reuse: Julie Davies’ fish art made from washed-up plastics caught beachgoers’ attention (Pic: Julie Davies).

Community

Pembrokeshire trains set for major timetable changes

Published

32 mins ago

November 26, 2024

Tom Sinclair

RAIL passengers in Pembrokeshire are being urged to plan ahead as the ‘most significant mainline timetable change in a generation’ is set to take effect in December. The changes promise increased services, better train spacing, and improved connectivity for the county’s rail users.

The new timetable, which comes into force on Sunday, December 15, will see adjustments across south Wales, made possible by the introduction of the state-of-the-art Class 197 train fleet. Transport for Wales (TfW) says these changes will result in additional services, later departures from Cardiff Central and Swansea, and more consistent scheduling with trains leaving at the same time past each hour.

Pembrokeshire passengers will see several significant improvements:

Milford Haven: Two extra services will run from the station.
Fishguard Harbour: The timetable will eliminate a six-hour midday gap, with more evenly spaced services to and from the station.

TfW’s journey planner indicates new service times:

Outbound from Fishguard: A new service at 4:04pm will bridge the current gap between 12:53pm and 7:32pm.
Inbound to Fishguard: A train arriving at 3:24pm will now fill the gap between 12:22pm and 6:57pm.
Milford Haven: An additional three trains will run to Carmarthen after December 15.

Cabinet Secretary for Transport and North Wales, Ken Skates, highlighted the impact of the changes:
“This is a major change which will make a real difference to customers, who will benefit from a more consistent service. This has been made possible by our £800m investment in new trains, and it’s great to see the results coming through across Wales.”

Colin Lea, TfW’s Planning and Performance Director, emphasized the scale of the changes:
“This is the most significant timetable change in a generation for mainline services. We’ve been working towards this timetable for four years, and the consistency it will deliver will be a massive improvement for many customers.”

TfW also revealed plans for further improvements over the next 18 months, including updates to the North Wales Coast and Cambrian lines, with newer trains and expanded capacity.

Passengers are advised to check the updated timetable in advance. For details on how your journey will be affected, visit TfW’s journey planner at tfw.wales/plan-a-journey.