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Daniel inspires help for hospital ward

29/12/2004

COURAGEOUS youngsters who are fighting cancer may find their time in hospital a little easier thanks to a Shaw couple and an electronics giant.

Peter and Michelle Milward hope the donation of 18 TV/video combos to the Victoria ward at Pendlebury Children's Hospital, Manchester, will form a lasting memory of their late son Daniel.

Michelle, Daniel's stepmum, said: "We just wanted to do something to say thank you for the help and support Daniel received when he was on the ward. It is not the hospital's fault there are not enough facilities on the ward."

Daniel, a former pupil at Mills Hill and Delph Primary Schools, was five years old when he was diagnosed with neuroendocrin-ecarconoma, an extremely rare form of neck cancer, which is only normally found in adults and effects only a smaller number of people worldwide.

Despite a brave two-year battle against the disease, which included doses of chemotherapy treatment at the hospital, Daniel died in September, 2002.

Since then the couple, from Duchess Street, have stayed in contact with the hospital and thought it would be nice to make a gesture to benefit others.

Michelle wrote to Alba asking them if they would supply an entertainment set for the patients, and the company replied saying they would happily donate one for each bed on the ward, via Royton-based Pulse Home Products Ltd, which is part of the Alba Group.

Peter and Michelle were on hand to present the combos to hospital staff in time for the New Year festivities, along with David Allen, managing director of Pulse.

A plaque was also unveiled in memory of Daniel.