NIE Networks support local charity B Positive | Newry News Today

Northern Ireland Electricity Networks has announced B Positive as their new Charity of the Year for 22/23.

The charity was formed by NIE Networks employee Sara and her husband David Watson, who sadly lost their son Adam to acute myeloid leukaemia in August this year.

B Positive was subsequently set up to help other families who have experienced a child cancer diagnosis.

Adam, who was just seven years old when he was diagnosed in 2019, went through four rounds of intense chemotherapy initially.

During his treatment, he received a cord blood transplant, which saw cells from the umbilical cord of a baby girl transplanted into his body with the hope of curing him.

From this treatment, his blood type changed from O Positive to B Positive, and so, the name B Positive came to be.

The charity will provide suitcases packed with essential emergency items such as pyjamas, as well as essential toiletries such as shampoo, soap, body wash, toothbrush and toothpaste to families who have rushed to hospital with their child.

The Children’s Haematology Ward in the Royal Victoria Hospital in Belfast will keep a supply of the cases and a referral programme will operate for families further afield.

To improve the patient and parent experience, B Positive will also be providing gaming activities such as virtual reality headsets to help ease boredom for children when they are in the hospital for long periods of time.

Sara and David Watson, Founders of B Positive, say, “As a charity, we are absolutely overwhelmed to have been chosen as the NIE Networks Charity of the Year.

“This is such an incredible legacy for Adam and we are so humbled to have been chosen.

“We look forward to working with NIE Networks and the team for the next 12 months to raise as much money as possible to help other families.”

NIE Networks Head of HR, Paula Leathem comments on the new partnership, “B Positive is an amazing charity with a really personal touch for our staff at NIE Networks.

“Many of our colleagues have worked with Sara over the years, and knew Adam’s story from the start, so it was no surprise when B Positive won the staff vote to become our Charity of the Year.

“We want to do all we can to support B Positive in raising much-needed funds to support other families, and help the charity go from strength to strength in memory of Adam.”

Over the next year, NIE Networks are aiming to raise at least £25,000 for B Positive.

Donations can be made at www.justgiving.com/page/nienetworks or to follow the B Positive Story, visit B Positive | Banbridge | Facebook.

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Posted by NewryTimes News on Dec 7 2022. Filed under Community. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry