23 January 2020
Not your standard 16th birthday
In April 2019, Brandon was diagnosed with cancer. This diagnosis came just six days before his 16th birthday.
His cousin, Tracey Upward, explains: “Instead of spending his birthday going out on his motorbike, which he had dreamed of for so long, it was spent starting chemotherapy treatment at the Teenage and Young Adult Unit at University Hospital Southampton.
And instead of sitting his exams with all of his friends, he was able to complete just three exams in hospital in between treatments, successfully passing them all.
He is fighting hard but is still facing months of intensive chemotherapy. The support the unit have given him has been amazing. They very much try to make it a home from home as many of the teenagers admitted have to stay in hospital for months at a time.
In order to show our love and support to Brandon, but also show our appreciation to the ward for all their support and hard work, we wanted to give something back.
We decided to hold a coffee and cake afternoon, which was the perfect chance to have a catch up with family and friends. We had a raffle with some amazing prizes, tombola, and some festive things to buy as well as the delicious cakes.
The event raised a massive £1,330.32 for the Teenage and Young Adult unit through Southampton Hospital Charity, and as you can see, the staff were delighted when we told them how much was raised!
We were overwhelmed with the support we received, and from local companies in the area getting involved.
A big thank you to The Old Mill in Holbury for providing us with the venue for free, and to everyone involved in arranging the event and supporting us, as we couldn’t have done it without them.”
Last updated: 23/01/2020
