DAISY APPEAL
Our Charity Partner
When Daisy Appeal approached us to organise an animal sculpture trail that would help to raise funds for their charity, choosing a rat might not have been the most obvious animal! But the poignant story of musicians Mick Ronson and Trevor Bolder both dying from cancer and being members of Hull band, The Rats was our justification, and it has proved an inspiration for the project.
“If the Daisy Appeal is about one thing, it’s about saving local lives – keeping our loved ones with us for longer. We help improve the survival chances of thousands of people each year and give users of our services and their families a brighter future. We exist to give faster, more accurate, diagnosis for three of the region’s biggest killers – cancer, heart disease, and dementia. With cures still a long way off, early diagnosis still offers the best chance of survival. It’s hard to think of a family that has not been affected by cancer, heart disease, or dementia – and that’s why the Daisy Appeal is such an important local charity: because it benefits everyone.”
Claire Levy, Daisy Appeal Fundraiser
Based at Castle Hill Hospital, the Daisy Appeal is run by the Hull and East Yorkshire Medical Research Centre. The charity was established in 2000 to combine research, early detection and treatment, initially addressing a lack of scanning facilities in the region.
Over 25 years it has developed its capacity from 1500 to over 5000 scans per year, giving faster, more accurate diagnosis for three of the region’s biggest killers – cancer, heart disease, and dementia.
Early diagnosis using advanced medical techniques like Positron Emission Tomography (PET) imaging, can significantly improve survival and quality of life.
In its latest development, The Daisy Appeal has opened the Molecular Imaging Research Centre. This allows it to produce short-life radioactive tracers on-site to be used in the Jack Brignall PET-CT Scanning Centre. Previously, these had to be sourced outside the region and their effectiveness could be reduced after long or delayed transport.
The funds now being raised by ‘A Mischief of Rats’ will greatly help to support this valuable work and contribute towards the next stage in acquiring a new digital scanner. Modular in design, this will double the Centre’s scanning capacity and, if future funded, could become the UK’s third only such full body scanner.
Early intervention is crucial for successfully treating diseases, but it’s difficult because noticeable symptoms often appear only after the disease has progressed. In some cases, early diagnosis and treatment can greatly extend both lifespan and quality of life.
A stronger collaboration between PET diagnostics and treatments is essential for accurate diagnosis and effective treatment, providing both healthcare teams and patients with better knowledge to manage the disease.
The aim is to promote bench-to-bedside PET research, supporting discovery and development of new radiotracer molecules and methods for the benefit of the public regionally and with the potential for worldwide implementation.
The development of the charity’s facilities ensures that Hull and East Yorkshire will take their deserved position in the premier league of medical research in the United Kingdom and be recognised as a Centre of Excellence in Medical Research.
For more information or to make a donation to Daisy Appeal, visit daisyappeal.org or scan the QR code