Tilly’s Lab Tour at Royal Shrewsbury Hospital

After being diagnosed with leukaemia in 2020, Tilly received regular treatment at the Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust. With frequent trips to the hospital, Tilly was curious to know what happened behind the laboratory doors. Specifically, what happened to her blood samples when they reached the lab? And how might the leukaemia have changed the look of her cells under a microscope?

This visit gave Tilly the chance to have some of these questions answered, as well as meet the biomedical scientists who work hard behind the scenes to provide test results that are vital in diagnosing illnesses, monitoring treatment, and guiding patient care.

Dressed in their very own lab coats and clipboards, Tilly and her brother Jesse joined Amber Haynes, Healthcare Scientist on a tour of several areas within the Pathology department.

Some tour activities included seeing cells under the microscope, preparing a tissue sample for processing, sending a penguin through the internal pod system, and even spotting a giant worm (parasite) preserved in a jar.

Amber said:

We were really excited to be able to show Tilly and her family what goes on in Pathology. It’s so important that young patients who want to learn more about their illness get a chance to see it from a completely different perspective. It can help with a sense of closure and empowerment.

She continued:

Meeting the patients behind the samples adds a personal dimension to our work and reminds us why it matters.

Her mum, Helen, said:

Tilly received treatment in the Oncology department at the Princess Royal Hospital in Telford. She was really interested to find out how her Full Blood Count (FBC) was calculated, and this was explained really well. She was able to look at leukaemia cells under the microscope which was very interesting. Amber was very good at explaining things at Tilly’s level.

Tilly found it interesting from the perspective of learning about her own illness but also very useful as she would like to enter the medical profession in some way and this gave her an opportunity to ask different people about what their job entailed.

Paula Gardner, Interim Chief Nursing Officer, said:

“We are proud to support Harvey’s Lab Tours and the positive impact they have on young patients and their families. It’s lovely to hear that not only did Tilly and Jesse find the tour informative, but that it’s also been inspirational in terms of a possible career step for Tilly.”

These visits wouldn’t be possible without the support of our partner Trusts. We’d like to thank the Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust, and in particular the team at Royal Shrewsbury Hospital, for welcoming Tilly and her family and making this tour so memorable.