Frank’s liver dance raises funds for unit

Liver transplant patient Frank Barker has raised £2,000 for the Liver Unit, which has a fund within the hospital’s official charity, the Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham Charity.

Frank and his wife Rita are big Northern Soul fans and organised a “Liver Dance” to raise money for the unit and also celebrate Frank’s life-saving transplant operation, which took place a year ago. The event was held at the George Hotel in Burslem, Stoke-on-Trent, and involved DJs playing northern soul music throughout the night and a raffle.

Frank said: “I’m delighted to have raised the money for the hospital because I can’t thank them enough for saving my life. No amount of money can ever repay the staff for what they had done for me. All the staff, co-ordinators, surgeons, nurses and cleaners have been really supportive. Even after the operation, when I was a bit cranky and out of sorts, the staff were still so friendly and caring.”

Frank’s wife Rita added: “The team at UHB are so dedicated and compassionate and are just the most amazing people. I always feel that Frank is in the best possible place when he comes here and I’m so grateful for the care and understanding they showed me and my family as well as Frank. They talked me through ever step of the operation and explained everything fully. The unit is full of such lovely people.”

Frank’s thanks also go out to GMBU Union for a considerable donation, and due to the success of the event, Frank and his family are planning another northern soul night in the near future.

Dr David Mutimer, Liver Consultant at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital, said: “Mr Barker's liver transplant was a year ago and I'm delighted with his recovery. He has been under the care of the Liver Team for the past decade and we are really pleased to see that the transplant has restored him to such excellent health. He is a great example of what can be achieved by liver transplantation.

“The sum that he has raised is remarkable and we are really grateful to him and to the fans of  northern soul music. The donation will contribute to the purchase of a liver fibroscanner – this is a great piece of kit that uses ultrasound to examine the liver to assess the amount of damage. For a lot of people, the application of this technique has meant that liver biopsy can be avoided.”