Sheffield Children’s Hospital
Fyfe Financial, and David Fyfe in particular, has a long history of supporting Sheffield Children’s Hospital having now raised over £1.1million for the Children’s Hospital Charity.
Their support started when David, with his wife Jean and friends Nigel & Sandra Worthington, set up a Ball for the Children’s Hospital Charity, Sheffield in 1990. Originally intended as a “one-off” the Daffodil Ball has now passed its 28th year and raised over £1,000,000.
In the last few years David’s sons Stephen and Richard, as well as their wives Simran and Donna, have helped David and Jean with the organization behind the event but it is still David’s drive that keeps the event going year after year.
The Children’s Hospital Charity director, David Vernon-Edwards, said: “We are overwhelmed by the support David and Jean have given the charity over the years. Thanks to their tireless fundraising efforts we can bring new facilities to the hospital – making it better for children who come from all over the world for the hospital’s specialist care.”
Sheffield Children’s Hospital, is one of only four stand-alone children’s hospitals in the UK and is a centre of excellence in many areas including neuroscience.
Over the last 26 years, charitable support from the Daffodil Ball has funded some amazing enhancements at Sheffield Children’s Hospital, benefiting thousands of children and saving lives. All of the specialist medical equipment is over and above the standard NHS provision. Here are some Daffodil Ball highlights…
- Over £15,000 was donated for endoscopic instruments. These enable surgeons to perform minimal access transnasal (through the nose) neurosurgery, allowing neurosurgeons to operate without cutting through the skull and therefore not leaving a scar. This also minimises the amount of pain the patient will have after surgery as well as reducing the length of their stay in hospital.
- Over £27,000 has been donated to the Make it Better appeal which will build a brand new hospital wing to match world-class facilities with the existing world-class care, creating the best possible environment for children to get better more quickly.
- Over £22,000 was donated towards an intraoperative 3T MRI scanner making the theatres department at Sheffield Children’s Hospital one of the most advanced operating environments in the country. Alongside this, the charity funded a Leica Dual Imaging Colour Microscope Module thanks to over £16,000 raised at the Daffodil Ball. Together this equipment enables more precise treatment, reduced surgery time and improved recovery time.
- The neonatal surgical unit provides high quality care to some of the hospital’s smallest patients. Previously babies needing ultrasound investigations had to be moved to the X-Ray department across the hospital. Thanks to funding by the Daffodil Ball, over £25,000 was raised towards a portable ultrasound allowing babies to be tested in the comfort of their own cots.
In recognition of their hard work, David & Jean were award the Lifetime Achievement Award by the Children’s Hospital Charity in June 2019 which their son Richard, pictured, collected on their behalves.
David had also previously been awarded the 2017 Professor Robert Boucher Distinguished Alumni Award by the University of Sheffield in recognition of his contribution to business and community life in Sheffield. Once again, David’s fundraising for the Children’s Hospital the primary basis for him being recommended for this award.
