Bourne mouth Hospita l Chari ty
Surgeon cuts hair for women’s health A Royal Bournemouth Hospital surgeon undergoes ‘hair surgery’ to help raise money for women’s health treatment.
Miss Ishrak Hamo, Consultant Oncoplastic Surgeon at Royal Bournemouth Hospital, chose Monday 22 May to have her beloved black locks snipped by a former patient to help raise funds for new equipment for women’s health patients. Miss Hamo, who practises in the Jigsaw Building of the Royal Bournemouth Hospital, says she chose to get the haircut for the sake of her patients. “My first passion is my work and ensuring that my patients always receive the very best care,” explains Miss Hamo. “Another passion of mine, like many other women, is my very long hair! This is why I have decided to cut my hair and raise money for my patients and unit while doing it. “In my experience, patients are often most devastated with the ramifications of receiving cancer treatment, namely losing their hair. This is why I have also decided to donate my hair to make real hair wigs for cancer patients.”
“In my experience, patients are often most devastated with the ramifications of receiving cancer treatment, namely losing their hair. This is why I have also decided to donate my hair to make real hair wigs for cancer patients.” ago. Having worked as a hairdresser for 30 years and faced cancer treatment herself, Tracey says she can appreciate how it feels as a cancer patient to experience the unpleasant side effects
Last year, Bournemouth Hospital Charity received over £700,000 in legacies, some were for £500 and some people wanted to give significantly more. Whatever the amount, it makes a difference to our patients and purchases additional equipment and training for our staff. It’s the new CT scanner which enables us to diagnose patients and begin treatment more quickly. It’s the support worker helping someone readjust to life after cancer treatment. It’s being cared for, rather than just receiving care.
of treatment. “I lost my hair through chemo and then I lost my hair through radiotherapy,” explains Tracey. “Going through breast cancer taught me how to treat people with cancer because of what they say to you. They may say ‘oh, don’t worry. Your hair will grow back’. And you’re thinking ‘well, it hasn’t fallen out yet’.
Your friends, neighbours, loved ones or people in your community are benefiting – even surviving – because of what people like you have chosen to leave behind.
“So we can laugh about it together. When you have someone in the salon who’s going through it, then you can share how they’re feeling.”
To date, Miss Hamo has raised over £1,500 towards the cause with a number of former patients donating via her JustGiving page. Fittingly, the honour of cutting the hair has gone to local hairdresser Tracey Berrall, who received treatment for breast cancer at the Hospital after being diagnosed three years
When you are gone, you leave behind more than just people. Leaving a legacy to Bournemouth Hospital Charity in your will can go a long way to make a real and lasting difference to your community.
Anyone wishing to donate towards Miss Hamo’s cause can do so through her JustGiving page at JustGiving.com/Fundraising/Ishrak-Hamo, or by searching ‘Ishrak Hamo’ on JustGiving.
Meet Gemma, our Legacy Officer “I wrote my first will when pregnant with my son. I wanted to be clear about who would raise him if I wasn’t here. Wills give you peace of mind about those ‘what if’s’. As Legacy Officer, I have a privileged position where I see the words someone has connected
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Donations in wills and made in-memory of loved ones enable us to enhance the care people receive when they come to Bournemouth Hospital, as well as the medical treatment on offer to them.
with their donation. Our staff are often recognised for being very caring, compassionate and for great treatment. It makes me proud to work for the Royal Bournemouth Hospital and to be the one to ensure our donors’ wishes are met. Donors really do make a life-changing difference.”
To find out more about legacies, contact our Legacy Officer, G emma Saunders, on 01202 705307 or email charity@rbch.nhs.uk
TEAMS TAKE ON OUR 5K OBSTACLE CHALLENGE You can donate in person at our Charity Office in the main entrance of the Royal Bournemouth Hospital or online at www.BHCharity.org