HRH Princess Eugenie visits Prosthetic Rehabilitation Unit

Posted by Ali Birtwell on 01 March 2023

Our patron HRH Princess Eugenie visited the state-of-the-art Prosthetic Rehabilitation Unit at RNOH for the first time yesterday. The visit coincided with the launch of our new campaign to make the ‘Impossible, Possible’ for people who face complex orthopaedic conditions.  

Princess Eugenie visited the hospital’s Prosthetic Rehabilitation Unit to see where the life changing prosthetics are made. This includes the provision, maintenance, and repair of artificial limbs together with a rehabilitation service provided by a multidisciplinary team for a range of patients from young children to veterans. 

The Princess, who is a former RNOH patient, said:

“I am delighted to be here today to once again see the life-changing work taking place at the Hospital. This is a charity which is very close to my heart. After everything I went through as a child with scoliosis, I know from my own experience how debilitating an orthopaedic condition can be.

“It has been inspirational to meet those here today who have benefitted from the expertise of the hospital’s staff and services and hear first-hand how truly life-changing this has been for them, as it was for me when I was a child. The RNOH Charity is integral to what the hospital achieves in delivering such stellar care for so many people."

Princess Eugenie met a number of patients who are being treated at the hospital including  two-year-old Posie-Aurora Sadler-Smith from Suffolk, who suffers from a rare disorder fibular hemimelia which meant her bones in her lower limbs did not develop properly. She was treated at RNOH from the age of 6 months old. The family first met with the team at the hospital when Posie’s mother was pregnant and began treatment when Posie was just six months old.
 
Her mum, Jodie Weeder, 27 said:

“We cannot thank the RNOH and the RNOH Charity enough for giving Posie the chance to walk using prosthetics. Its support over the last two years gave us hope for her future and allowed her to be able to do things that all children of her age should be able to do; run around and play, and in particular dance, something she loves to do. Seeing her stand up for the first time on both her prosthetic legs, truly was amazing – they really have made the ‘impossible, possible’ for our little girl.”

The visit came following the launch of our new campaign, ‘Impossible, Possible’ which aims to raise awareness about the incredible work of RNOH and the Charity. We need to raise more than £1m this year to strengthen RNOH’s role as a world-class centre for orthopaedic medicine. As well as funding the overall improvements to the patient experience and clinical research, the money raised will also fund specific items such as state-of-the art imaging equipment, transforming the spinal cord injury centre’s day room and, further pioneering orthopaedic research and ground-breaking developments.

The Charity has made a huge difference to the hospital’s patients and their families as they strive to rebuild their lives, by funding vital projects and creating a high-quality uplifting  environment that is beyond the scope of the hospital’s NHS funding.

Rosie Stolarski, Chief Executive Officer of the RNOH Charity said:

“Over the last 100 years the Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital has been performing the impossible and achieving things that no other hospital can, and that’s what makes this hospital extraordinary. But being extraordinary needs major investment so we have launched this campaign so that our charity can ensure the hospital will continue its pivotal role in rebuilding people’s lives and help to make the impossible, possible for so many more who need it. 

“We need to raise more than £1 million this year to continue to support our hospital’s
visionary plans. This means continuing to support essential programmes that help enhance staff wellbeing and morale; fund the valuable volunteer service; contribute to crucial research and cutting-edge equipment; and support much-needed redevelopment projects.”

Dominic Dodd, Chair of the Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital added:

“It’s fantastic to have the Charity launch the Impossible, Possible campaign in support of RNOH. Every day our staff are changing people’s lives, relieving suffering and pain, often when nothing seemed possible any more. The funds raised by the Charity help to strengthen the vital services we provide for our patients and provide such welcome support for our wonderful staff.”

Please support the Impossible Possible campaign here.