In this episode, Ed Nell speaks with Laura Power, Head of Fundraising for University Hospitals Birmingham Charity, and Ian Bowley from the Stan Bowley Trust, about Stan's Home from Home - a project providing free accommodation for families of patients receiving Cyberknife treatment at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital.
The episode also features a returning guest, Geoff Heyes, Head of Radiotherapy Treatment Planning at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital, with an update on the next generation of Cyberknife technology and what it will mean for patients.
Key Takeaways
Stan's Home from Home gives families somewhere to stay close to the hospital.
The one bedroom cottages are free of charge and a short walk from the Cyberknife suite, letting families remain together during treatment that can last days, weeks or months.
Running the home from home costs £20,000 a year.
Every £50 donation funds one night's stay for a family. The trust uses a Lego brick model to track fundraising progress, selling 365 bricks at £50 each.
A new Cyberknife machine is on the way for the Queen Elizabeth Hospital.
The current machine is reaching end of life after treating far more patients than originally planned. A replacement is expected to be installed around February 2027.
The new machine will extend treatment beyond the brain.
Around 80% of current patients are treated for brain lesions. The upgraded technology should make it possible to treat more inaccessible areas of the body, including moving organs.
Installing a new machine is a significant undertaking.
The bunker housing the machine needs over a metre and a half of concrete reinforcement. Once delivered, it takes around eight weeks of precision calibration before the machine can treat patients.
Key Moments
\"Their bad memories stay over in the hospital. Stan's Home from Home is where they get to feel normal.\"
\"It's not a depressing scene when you walk in. It's bright, it's airy, it gives you that warm, glowing feeling.\"
\"50 pound a month is less than half the price of a daily coffee from Costa.\"
\"The machine has continued to perform far exceeding our expectations.\"
\"We are quite excited - it will be a centre for excellence, not just for the UK but internationally.\"
About the Podcast
This episode comes from the Stan Bowley Trust podcast, sharing the stories behind the charity's work supporting Cyberknife patients and their families at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham. Hosted by Ed Nell, the series features the people delivering treatment, the families experiencing it and the fundraisers making it all possible.
How to Get in Touch
To find out more about the Stan Bowley Trust or to donate:
Website: www.thestambolitrust.org
If you found this episode useful, subscribe and share it with anyone who might want to support the cause.
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