Brave supporters take the plunge for the Red & White Appeal!

Sixteen brave supporters of Southampton Hospital Charity’s Red & White Appeal have taken to the skies, to raise funds for the enhancement of facilities for haematology patients at Southampton General Hospital.

The group skydive day saw supporters, friends, family members and nursing staff brave tandem parachute jumps, raising over £10,000 in sponsorship to date. 

Among those who took part were friends and relatives of Ben Cross, 23, who was born with Idiopathic Thrombocytopenic Purpura (ITP), a rare hereditary bone marrow disorder that results in a low blood count. Diagnosed with ITP at a young age, Ben’s family were informed that a bone marrow transplant would be a last resort. 

However, aged 21, Ben’s bone marrow failed and he found himself at the specialist regional haematology unit at Southampton General Hospital, awaiting a bone marrow transplant. A suitable donor was needed as soon as possible, but it proved difficult to find a match for Ben’s rare tissue type. 

Ben continued to visit the unit three times a week for platelet transfusions, until after four months, a donor was found through the Anthony Nolan Trust and the transplant went ahead in February 2009.

With a low immune system, Ben spent months on the unit, and complications arose when he contracted Glandular Fever, and had to spent a further nine days in isolation on the Intensive Care Unit.

Thankfully Ben’s condition improved, and he is now recovering well, but visits the Hospital for blood tests every four weeks, so that medical staff can ensure that the transplant has been successful. He will also need to undergo ‘top up’ stem cell treatment in the future.

Mother, Sarah Cross and brother, Fergus Cross took to the skies along with family friends Stephen Glaister and Hugh Gibb, to thank medical staff on the haematology unit, some of whom also took part in the skydive.

Sarah Cross said, “We can’t praise the nurses and doctors on the haematology unit enough for the care that Ben received.”

Money raised from the skydive will go towards Southampton Hospital Charity’s £2.2 million Red & White Appeal to fund a specialist day case unit for patients with blood disorders from across the region. The purpose built unit will benefit patients such as Ben, who need to visit the haematology unit for follow up treatments and assessment.

Veryan Grant, Director of Southampton Hospital Charity said, “We would like to say a huge thank you to all those who took the plunge and raised sponsorship for the Red & White Appeal. The money raised will make a real difference to patients who are treated for life threatening blood disorders at Southampton General Hospital."