Hospital charity welcomes community for inaugural Iftar dinner
A hospital charity has been overwhelmed by responses from the community after hosting their first Iftar dinner.
The Heartlands Hospital Charity raised £93,000, to help children treated at Heartlands Hospital during the event.
The Iftar dinner was organised to fundraise for equipment that will help young patients at Heartlands Hospital better understand their treatment and be less fearful.
The money raised will now fund a Kitten Scanner, a piece of equipment that shows children who need an MRI (CT) Scan, how the machine works.
The small replica helps to reduce their fear and gives them the chance to understand what to expect. This means that fewer children will need anaesthesia during the procedure.
The charity sad the response from the local community was incredible, including, Afzal Hussain, Deputy Lieutenant for the West Midlands, local groups, businesses, and hospital staff, and is a testament to the important work done by the hospital charity to support patients.
Saiqha Din, fundraising manager at Heartlands Hospital Charity said, “I am so grateful to the community for their support. When we took the leap to host an Iftar Dinner, we wanted to put Heartlands Hospital Charity on the map and raise awareness in the local community of what we do.
“The community’s response is heartwarming, and the money they raised will make a huge difference to young patients treated at Heartlands.
“The Kitten Scanner that we can now fund will transform the hospital experience for children who need an MRI, as well as reduce the stress felt by their families.
“Hospital is scary enough as an adult, it can be terrifying for a child, especially something as noisy and claustrophobic as a CT scan.
“Anything we can do to alleviate some of that fear is great, the help that we can give with the Kitten Scanner, is incredible.”
