It was a wonderful feeling to be able to tell our gathering of 750 people at our Carol Concert last month that because our donors had already been so generous that we were able to buy the first of the two ECMO units which the Charity had pledged to buy. This equipment which rescues very critically-ill patients from across England and sometimes Wales to bring them back to Royal Brompton for life-saving treatment is vital all throughout the year but it is especially crucial in winter during flu season. Our target is to raise enough money (another £75k) for a second ECMO by the end of March. If you have been one of the many donors who has helped us over the past three months with this appeal – a huge thank you. 

You see, fundraising in this Charity isn’t just a job, or just a process… it is very real. If we don’t raise the money, the equipment can’t be bought, or the research can’t be done. This makes our lives both brilliant and scary. But our donors can be completely assured that their support goes towards the project which they know about.  

January is a month for looking ahead. We can see exactly where we are against our targets and we are can start planning for our 2020 appeals. Thanks to two large and generous donations from Charitable Trusts, we were able to finish our long running, but vital appeal to support people with cystic fibrosis. These people often must travel to Royal Brompton for their check-ups and treatment, having to take days off work, get child care or take a break from study all to travel into polluted London costing money and time. The new technology secured through our appeal will enable remote consultations and self-monitoring, whilst still providing the very best of care. Another donation has helped us to complete our Transforming your Care appeal which brings technology to the bedside, linking nurse to patient and doctor giving early warnings if vital signs change. Amazing stuff! 

So, we are still fundraising for ECMO and the all-important Organ Care Systems (OCS) which have been a focus for our Charity for so many years. Why? Because this extraordinary piece of equipment has huge advantages over the ‘on-ice’ method that is funded by the NHS. The OCS means that donated organs can also come from hospitals further away, arrive in better condition and give medical staff longer to prepare for and perform life-saving surgery. 

New Year – new determination to change people’s lives for the better. To give them the best treatment ever, turn their lives around, and send them home. Please join us in our ambitions. We cannot do this without you.