Young leukaemia patient goes behind the scenes at hospital pathology lab in Shropshire
A young leukaemia patient has been given a special, behind-the-scenes tour of a major Shropshire hospital's pathology department.
Tilly, who was diagnosed with leukaemia in 2020 and treated at Princess Royal Hospital in Telford, was recently welcomed to Royal Shrewsbury Hospital for a personalised tour as part of Harvey’s Lab Tours.
The national programme is aimed at helping young patients and their families understand what happens to their medical samples after they are taken.
Joined by her brother Jesse, Tilly was kitted out with her very own lab coat and clipboard and joined healthcare scientist Amber Haynes for a hands-on exploration of the pathology department.
This included seeing cells under a microscope, preparing a tissue sample for processing, sending a penguin through the internal pod system and seeing a giant worm (parasite) in a jar.
Healthcare scientist Amber said: "We were really excited to be able to show Tilly and her family what goes on in pathology. It’s so important that young patients who want to learn more about their illness get a chance to see it from a completely different perspective. It can help with a sense of closure and empowerment.
"Meeting the patients behind the samples adds a personal dimension to our work and reminds us why it matters."
For Tilly, the tour served as an opportunity to learn about what happened to her blood samples when they had reached the lab, and to see how the leukaemia had changed the look of her cells under a microscope.
Tilly's mum, Helen, said the experience was not only educational but also inspiring.
She added: "Tilly found it interesting from the perspective of learning about her own illness but also very useful as she would like to enter the medical profession in some way and this gave her an opportunity to ask different people about what their job entailed."
Paula Gardner, interim chief nursing officer at the Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust, praised the initiative and its impact.
"We are proud to support Harvey’s Lab Tours and the positive impact they have on young patients and their families," she said.
"It’s lovely to hear that not only did Tilly and Jesse find the tour informative, but that it’s also been inspirational in terms of a possible career step for Tilly."
