Tracey Dennison, a Senior Perioperative Support Worker in Theatres and Recovery at Hull Royal Infirmary, has just returned from The Gambia after doctors, anaesthetists and other members of the Theatres team helped her appeal to support children and families in a country blighted by poverty.
Tracey said: “The children were just so excited when they saw I’d brought them colouring books, pens and pencils and other small gifts.
“And thanks to the generosity of staff at the hospital who donated money, I was able to pay to take extra luggage to carry lots of donations.
“I just want to say a massive thank you to everyone who helped me and donated to my appeal.”
Tracey has travelled to The Gambia for the past six years in memory of her parents, who spent 25 years helping school children at Living World of Faith World Changers in The Gambia.
However, with the continuing cost of living crisis, it was becoming more difficult for Tracey to afford to keep buying pens, colouring books, pencils, cards and stickers – and the cost of extra luggage – to take the gifts for the children.
This year, ahead of her seventh trip, she appealed to her co-workers for support and was overwhelmed by the generosity of NHS staff, willing to help her.
She said: “The response was just fantastic and I’m so grateful to everyone who helped. They’ve helped make a lot of people so much less fortunate than us very happy.”
