Family funds £18k scanner as thank you to doctor

Dr Ayman Askari (left) with the new scanner contributed by Rachael Griffiths and sister Debs Venezia, who is pictured with her sons, Will and Alex Venezia.

The family of a long-standing hospital patient has raised more than £18,000 to buy a medical scanner for the site as a thank you to her doctor.

Debs Venezia began receiving care at the Robert Jones and Agnes Hunt Orthopaedic Hospital (RJAH), in Oswestry, Shropshire, in 1991.

She has been under the care of Dr Ayman Askari for 14 years, and wanted to express her gratitude for his help.

"It’s an absolute blessing for me, and it is of such huge benefit for my patients," Dr Askari, a consultant rheumatologist, said of the donated machine.

"We will reap the rewards of this scanner for many years, and I cannot thank them enough."

The fundraising, £18,300 in total, took two years, and the scanner will screen rheumatology patients for cardiovascular issues.

Ms Venezia developed a heart condition in the 1980s, undergoing heart surgery which saved her life.

She was subsequently diagnosed with Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE), a condition which causes joint pain, rashes, and tiredness.

She had a kidney transplant, due to severe renal failure.

The family decided to raise funds for the scanner after finding out that early screening of lupus patients could help detect other associated illnesses.

"It’s been a lot of work over a long period of time, but being able to see the scanner and hear the difference it will make, makes it all so worthwhile," said Ms Venezia's sister, Rachael Griffiths.

"It seemed like such a huge hurdle to get over at the start, but it has all paid off."