Ryland donates gifts to children’s ward | News

A six-year-old boy has donated Christmas gifts to our children’s ward to say thank you after his mum was treated for cancer at Royal Surrey.

Shannon Dickie, 26, from Knaphill, was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma and looked after by the team on our Teenage and Young Adult Cancer (TYAC) unit earlier this year.

She spent a lot of time at the hospital after a long course of chemotherapy that was spread over a seven month period, as well as a two week stint on the ward after contracting pneumonia.

Her son Ryland wanted to put a smile on the faces of the children on Hascombe ward who may be facing Christmas in hospital.

So, he and his two-year-old sister Harper-Rayne, paid a visit to the ward with their mum to donate a sack full of presents.

Shannon said she is hugely proud of her son for being so thoughtful to others.

“I thought it was really cute,” she said.

“I spent so much time here. He went through a rough patch, especially when I spent two weeks here.

“He said he would be sad if I was in hospital over Christmas so he said he wanted to give to children who might be going through chemotherapy or receiving treatment in hospital at this time of year.”

Natasha Wellman, Play Specialist on Hascombe ward, said: “I thought it was really sweet. It’s a lovely idea for a little boy to come up with.

“The children will love it, it does make a big difference. It makes it more magical for them. It’s really nice and it’s great for the families as well. They are part of the experience too.”