Gloucestershire mum raises £500k for cancer ward psychologist

Julie Kent has been fundraising for children's health services since her daughter's death

A mother has raised more than £500,000 to pay for a psychologist to work on a children's cancer ward.

Julie Kent's daughter, Emily, died in 1995 of a brain tumour when she was just three-years-old.

The psychologist will work on the Emily Kent ward at Gloucestershire Royal Hospital, providing support to patients and their families while the child has treatment and are in remission.

Ms Kent said this was "crucial" and that "everybody needs support".

'What do you say?'

"It's quite common that siblings - after their brother or sister go into remission - it turns out they have got issues [too] because they keep quiet", she said.

Ms Kent said parents also sometimes need help, with a father once asking her: "What do you say to your eight-year-old son when he asks 'am I going to die daddy'?"

She has been fundraising for the Pied Piper Appeal which supports the hospital and its Emily Kent Ward - which is named after her daughter.

"We are the only children's cancer unit in the whole of the South West [at the moment] that does not have psychological support for the children with cancer, teenagers and siblings," she said.

Emily Kent was three-years-old when she passed away from a brain tumour

Ms Kent, who has an MBE for her fundraising services, launched the appeal called Emily's Gift in March 2023 to fund the specialist help for 10 years.

When she first started the challenge, she said it felt "quite daunting".

"I'd stand up in a business meeting and say 'my name's Julie Kent and I'm raising half a million pounds in one year' and people go 'you do know there's an economic crisis, don't you?'," she said.

"But I broke it down. I said to businesses, I just need 250 of them to give me £2,000 - and over 150 businesses have in Gloucestershire."

While she has now hit the target, Ms Kent said she will continue to raise money.

"We're not stopping. I wanted to raise £500,000 in one year but there are lots of things going on this year," she said.

"So some people are pledging to give £200 a year for 10 years, some people are giving £400 for five years. People are giving different amounts.

"Those children and their families on that unit [at Gloucestershire Royal Hospital], now that we've got a buffer, they might be able to have a treat or go somewhere."