Two nurses from the University Hospital of Wales have been recognised as ‘Beacons of Hope’ by the Lymphoma Association because of their dedication to supporting people affected by lymphoma, the UK’s fifth most common cancer.
Sara Busby, a senior staff nurse on the young adult cancer day unit, won her award for her commitment to supporting young adult Hodgkin lymphoma patients.
Deputy sister of the Out Patients Department Vivienne Hayes was nominated by a colleague who wrote that Sister Vivienne has ‘made a real impact on the lives of people living with lymphoma in Cardiff’ by starting a campaign called ‘Every Contact Counts’ – every contact she has with patients she imparts health and lifestyle advice.
Sara and Vivienne received their Beacons of Hope Awards from the national cancer charity at a ceremony that took place in Birmingham earlier this month.
BBC Radio 4 presenter Susan Rae hosted the awards ceremony and read out an extract of both winners’ nominations, which included:
‘Not only is Sara a true advocate for her patient group, she also promotes lymphoma awareness generally – to staff, patients and students alike. She works tirelessly to ensure lymphoma awareness initiatives are adopted on the unit.
‘Her motivation and dedication to ensure young adults with Hodgkin lymphoma are well informed, have a smooth treatment pathway and do not feel that they alone, makes Sara a deserving candidate for the Beacon of Hope Award.’
Sister Vivienne’s nomination continued:
‘Patients have responded really well to the Every Contact Counts campaign and always say to me that they are impressed with Viv’s attitude and devotion to her work. Her work reinforces the advice we impart in clinics and follows through the theme of healthy lifestyle choices for people living with lymphoma.
‘Sister Viv has also worked tirelessly with the lymphoma team in Cardiff to help us reorganise our clinics to provide a more streamlined service. Her help and insight have been a benefit to us all.
‘This award would be some recognition of the appreciation myself and the patients here have for her.’
Jonathan Pearce, chief executive of the Lymphoma Association, said, ‘We were delighted to be able to present Sara and Vivienne with a Beacons of Hope Award.
‘We provide specialist medical information and support to anyone affected by lymphoma, and the Beacons of Hope Awards are a chance for us to say thank you and to celebrate the achievements of people like Sara and Vivienne who are making a real difference to people living with a lymphoma or blood cancer diagnosis.’
Around 125,000 people are currently living with lymphoma. It is also the UK’s fifth most common cancer and the most common cancer in under 30s.
To find out more about lymphoma or to support people affected by the disease, please visit www.lymphomas.org.uk/Christmas
