Pembrokeshire County Council chairman announces chosen charities

Pembrokeshire County Council’s new chairman, Tom Tudor, has announced his chosen charities. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

“As chairman of Pembrokeshire County Council my chosen charities during my chairmanship will be the Adam’s Bucketful of Hope and The Paul Sartori Hospice at Home Foundation,” said Cllr Tudor, member for Haverfordwest’s Castle ward. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

“Following the council AGM my wife Alison Tudor and I arranged a charity fundraising event for both organisations, and we would like to thank all those who donated essential funds to both charities.” ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Pembrokeshire born Adam Evans-Thomas was a young man of 21 when he was diagnosed with leukaemia. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

His courageous fight against cancer brought him into the everyday life of Withybush Hospital and the needs of cancer patients in similar situations. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

He set about finding information about Bone Marrow Donation which most leukaemia patients need. He worked alongside the Welsh Blood Service in Cardiff, helping raise awareness of the need for blood and bone marrow donors by intensive fundraising. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

He raised £45,000 and added 3,000 new blood donors from Pembrokeshire onto the blood service list. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Following the government’s decision to fund the Bone Marrow Tissue Typing Agency, Adam turned his attention to repaying the hospitals that cared for him over the years. His then consultant Dr Saleem, pointed out that Withybush Hospital desperately needed a larger Cancer Day Care Unit to deal with the increased numbers of patients. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Adam sadly passed away in 2004 leaving £9,000 already raised for the new unit. His family, friends and his mother Christine Evans-Thomas decided to carry on with his legacy and in 2009 a High Dependency Room called The Pembrokeshire Room was donated by his charity to the then new Transplant Unit in University Hospital of Wales in Cardiff, and in 2017 saw the Pembrokeshire Haematology and Oncology Day Unit in Withybush Hospital opening up, and Adam’s Legacy fulfilled. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Adams Bucketful of Hope Cancer Support Centre was opened up in 2009 in Dew Street, Haverfordwest, which in itself is a vibrant and self-supporting unit, with a mix of volunteers and cancer patients also called “Buckateers”. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

The Pembrokeshire-based Paul Sartori Foundation hospice at home service, assists people living in the final stages of a life-limiting illness, including home nursing care, equipment loan, complementary therapy, bereavement and counselling support, physiotherapy, advance care planning and training. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Father Paul Sartori was a remarkable man who saw the need for hospice care in Pembrokeshire. Whilst trying to answer this need, he became ill and died at the age of thirty-nine. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

In his memory, a group of friends and parishioners strived to bring his ideas to fruition. In May 1981, the Paul Sartori Foundation was formed with the aim of providing good end-of-life care for the people of Pembrokeshire. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Father Paul Sartori was a Catholic priest, however the Foundation was established to provide a service to all. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

By BBC LDRS ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​