Anna’s Hope is a Stamford based charity supporting children and young people with brain tumours in the East of England.
Anna's Hope have funded a Physiotherapy, Speech and Language Therapy and Occupational Therapy posts - known as the Anna's Hope Therapy team.
It was inspired by Anna Olivia Hughes who lost her battle to a brain tumour aged only 3 years and 8 months in 2006. Anna’s parents Rob and Carole Hughes and older sister Sara were at her side throughout her 13 month treatment at Addenbrooke's Hospital and vowed to do their best to give hope and support to other children diagnosed with a brain tumour.
Brain tumours are the biggest cancer killer of children in the UK and for those who survive their lives can be severely compromised. In October 2006 following much research, including a visit to the Children’s Trust at Tadworth and meetings with oncology consultant Amos Burke and other members of the Neuro oncology team at Addenbrooke's Hospital, Anna’s Hope was set up with a shared vision of providing rehabilitation support to help children with brain tumours achieve their full potential both during and post treatment.
Anna’s Hope works in partnership with the children’s neuro-oncology team at the hospital to turn this ambition into reality and the first stage of the partnership began with the funding of the Anna’s Hope Children’s neuro-oncology specialist nurse in 2009. After three years of funding, this critical role has been recognised and is now funded by the hospital. The Anna’s Hope nurse is based in the children’s oncology ward and supports children and parents in hospital during treatment and after at home through liaison with schools and community therapists.
With the Anna’s Hope nurse in place, Anna’s Hope and its supporters have worked continuously over the last six years to raise further funds to fulfill the rest of the vision set back in 2006. This has culminated in the provision of a rehabilitation service called Brainbow based at the hospital specifically for children with brain tumours. Anna’s Hope is therefore delighted to announce that it is funding the ‘Anna’s Hope Therapy team’ for the next 3 years. This new team will be dedicated to providing full time support to the Brainbow Service and include a Physiotherapist, Speech and Language Therapist and an Occupational Therapist.
Anna’s Hope is also delighted that two other charities, Camille’s Appeal and Tom’s Trust are able to partner with us and provide the extra funds for the other essential resources which support the Brainbow service with a project manager and psychologist.
It has been a very long journey for all at Anna’s Hope and this major milestone could not have been achieved without the hard work by our trustees, all of our volunteers and those who have been so generous in supporting us. As a result Brainbow, with the support of Anna’s Hope therapy team, will start to make a real difference now and give more hope to those children in the East of England with a brain tumour.
Telephone: 01780 740492