Torbay and South Devon NHS Foundation Trust has recently bought an oxygen saturation monitor for Torbay Hospital’s Short Stay Paediatric Assessment Unit thanks to the impressive fundraising efforts of the students and teachers at Torbay School in Paignton.
A total of £1,370.50 was raised through various events including a sponsored walk from Brixham to Paignton. One of the students, 16 year old Travis Gill, also gave a talk to Torbay Rotary Club which raised £500, and three teachers from the school; Miranda Price, Ryan Christophers and Gareth Williams, ran the Torbay half marathon. The money raised has paid for one oxygen saturation monitor and contributed towards a second monitor.
The Short Stay Paediatric Assessment Unit (SSPAU) allows sick babies and children to be assessed on the children’s ward, bypassing the need for them to go through Torbay Hospital’s busy Emergency Department.
Ward Manager, Sandy Discombe said “We really cannot thank Travis and the pupils and staff of Torbay School enough for all they have done to raise this fantastic amount of money. The oxygen saturation monitor is a machine that measures oxygen levels in the blood and will be invaluable in allowing us to assess sick children promptly and effectively so that they can get the treatment they need in a timely manner.”
Torbay School student, Travis Gill, commented: “Raising this amount of money has been an extraordinary experience and achievement. I faced some obtstacles organising the Brixham to Paignton walk, but it was worth it in the end.”
Torbay School teacher, Miranda Price, added: “I am both delighted and proud to have been a part of Travis’s project. I was more than happy to help raise money for such a worthy cause and raise awareness for the children’s unit. I found it tough completing the half marathon, but remembering why I was doing it helped me get around the course and complete it successfully. I know that Gareth and Ryan were equally elated to have finished the race successfully and to have raised so much money for the unit.
“We are very pleased that the amount raised was enough for the unit to buy such an essential piece of equipment that will provide support to the children as well as to the families who visit the ward.”
