Three-year-old Brodie Halliday has recently finished 35 rounds of gruelling radiotherapy. His family were devastated that his dad Jamie, 42 and sister Indiana, 7, might not get to witness him ringing the traditional End of Treatment Bell as visitor restrictions meant only his mum Kirstie, 35, was accompanying him to his appointments.
Kirstie explains: “When I chatted to the team about what we could do to make sure as many people saw him ring the bell as possible, they knew just what to do. They’ve gone above and beyond for Brodie and really made a fuss of his during his treatment.”
Led by Paediatric Radiographer Sarah Stead, the Radiotherapy Team unscrewed the End of Treatment bell from its usual position in the department and set it up outside, to ensure the entire Halliday family and Brodie’s medical team could safely witness this milestone moment.
Diagnosed in July 2019 with a brain tumour, Brodie initially received treatment near his home in the Scottish Borders, before being referred over 250 miles away for radiotherapy treatment at Clatterbridge Cancer Centre - Wirral.
“We moved our entire lives down to the Wirral for Brodie’s treatment and with everything going on, it’s been quite a daunting experience. Having Brodie in hospital during a pandemic was also incredibly worrying,” said Kirstie.
“But the team from The Clatterbridge Cancer Centre have gone above and beyond for Brodie, especially during a really challenging time for all the staff and patients. We’re really grateful that the team found a way for us to celebrate this special moment with Brodie.”
Sarah said: “We weren’t going to let the coronavirus ruin Brodie’s big moment to ring the bell in front of his family. And as patient safety is our top priority, having visitors into the hospital isn’t possible at the moment.
“The team and I made sure Brodie could safely have his celebratory moment. He had quite a socially distant crowd in the end, of fellow patients and Clatterbridge staff, cheering him on.
“Patients and families dealing with cancer already have enough on their plates. It’s part our job to go that extra mile to ensure they’re given extra special care and compassion during these extenuating circumstances.”
Following his treatment, the family were able to conduct essential travel back home to the Scottish Borders and Brodie is now recovering well at home.
