A kind-hearted family has funded an interactive mobile gaming kit to be used by young patients being treated at Walsall Manor Hospital – in memory of their loved one.

Mother-of-three Jeanette Ashton died following an aggressive form of cancer last December at the age of 61.
Her daughter Vicki Helliwell explained: “Mom loved children and when she died we wanted to use the donations made at her funeral by her family and friends for something that we thought would really make a difference and something that would be fitting in her memory.

“We contacted the RockinR charity and were so impressed with the reason it was set up and how it operates that we knew it was just the right thing to buy.”

The RockinR charity was set up in Wakefield in memory of a young patient Reece Miree and takes his gamer tag as its title. Reece died of a brain tumour when he was just 11.

Vicki and her sisters Tammy and Katie Ashton and her father Paul Ashton came to meet Reece’s father Jonny at Walsall Manor Hospital last week to see the arrival of the RockinR unit which was handed over to delighted Play Specialist Jo Plank for the Children’s Ward.

The gaming cart provides interactive mobile gaming solutions, technology and equipment for children and young people in hospital. Each gaming cart is specifically built for the medical environment and helps healthcare professionals, play specialists and play facilitators to provide much-needed recreation and play to children and young people who are immobile, staying in hospital or visiting as an outpatient.

Vicki added: “It is an amazing thing and we are thrilled that we can see where the donations have gone and the end result. We think mom would have been pleased with our decision!

Jeanette, who lived in Wednesbury, worked as a cook at Manor High School until she retired seven years ago to help with her grandchildren.

Jo said: “This is fantastic and will be such a bonus for our young patients.

“Thank you so much to Jeanette’s family and to the RockinR charity. The only problem we’ll have is persuading our patients to leave hospital because this is such a fantastic addition to the ward!”