Great Ormond Street appeals for new £300m cancer centre

London Marathon runners are helping GOSH with its fundraising appeal

Great Ormond Street Hospital (GOSH) has launched its biggest-ever fundraising appeal to raise £300m for a new cancer centre.

GOSH, London Marathon's charity of the year, hopes to make headway raising the funds with the marathon on 23 April.

The new Children's Cancer Centre will treat some of the most rare and difficult cancers.

The centre will have inpatient wards, intensive care units, operating theatres and a cancer day care centre.

Alongside the clinical services, the centre will also have a new hospital school and outdoor spaces including a roof garden.

Salma Bibi spoke of her gratitude to Great Ormond Street for her daughter's treatment

GOSH already treats the highest number of children with cancer in the UK. While investment in research and treatment has significantly improved survival rates, cancer remains the most common cause of death in children aged one to 14, according to Cancer Research UK statistics.

Salma Bibi, the mother of three-year-old Yumna, who was diagnosed with stage four high-risk neuroblastoma in December 2021, spoke of her gratitude to Great Ormond Street.

Yumna started intensive chemotherapy treatment before having surgery in 2022 to remove a tumour and is now having immunotherapy.

Ms Bibi said: "When Yumna was diagnosed, I just felt numb. Cancer hadn't touched our family before, so we didn't really know anything about it - we were just in complete shock.

"I had always heard about Great Ormond Street Hospital but didn't know much about it - you hope you'll never have to. But the support Yumna and my family has received has been amazing; the staff see you through the toughest times and do everything they can for you."

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