ROCK legend, Tony Iommi, has put an iconic guitar up for raffle to help boost funds for Heartlands Hospital Charity’s new appeal.
The former Black Sabbath guitarist has put a signed solid mahogany, 22 fret Gibson SG under raffle to help fund a state-of-the-art Haematology and Oncology Centre at Heartlands Hospital in Birmingham.
The hospital charity says it needs to raise £150,000 in total for the new centre.
Tony, who has recovered from cancer himself, said he wanted to give back to the teams who treated him.
He said: “I didn’t know what I had got…I found this lump… and they told me it was Hodgkins Lymphoma.
“I got a lot of help especially from the hospital. This is why I’m auctioning a guitar to raise funds, and if others can donate to the Charity, we can give cancer patients the support they need.”
The raffle will end at 9.11pm on December 7, or whenever the last ticket is sold, depending on which comes first.
Consultant haematologist at Heartlands Hospital, Dr Shankara Paneesha said, “We are always grateful to the Heartlands Hospital Charity for the help they have given over the years.
“This new campaign supported by the amazing Tony will provide more comfortable, calmer surroundings including recliner chairs for people having chemotherapy treatment.
“It’s never easy having a diagnosis of cancer but at the time they hear it; to be in comfortable surroundings it makes the journey more bearable and hopeful for the future.”
In the new centre, Heartlands Hospital Charity aims to create a welcoming environment, designed to reduce stress and give cancer patients a calm, relaxing surrounding for appointments and treatments which they may need for weeks, if not months.
Charlotte Schofield, director of fundraising for Heartlands Hospital Charity, said: “Lengthy hospital stays can be uncomfortable and stressful for patients and their families, so our goal is to give them an area that is brighter and more comfortable for those who need to spend long periods of time there.
“We are incredibly grateful to Tony and our supporters to help us fund this new facility which will include a range of spaces, for treatment, appointments, and some quiet spaces as well for patients who need it. It will be a new home for Haematology and Oncology at Heartlands and help patients through an incredibly difficult time in their lives, by allowing them to be as comfortable as possible.”
For more about the Heartlands Hospital Charity Cancer Appeal visit www.hospitalcharity.org/appeals/haematology-and-oncology.
Or to enter the raffle click here.