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Hospital ward to honour young cancer patient opens

Emily Ford
BBC News
Southampton Children’s Hospital A large group photo shows dozens of people gathered in a hospital room to mark the launch of Robbie's Rehab. In the centre, Robbie's dad Mark stands holding a pair of scissors against a purple ribbon. He is bald and wears a pale pink shirt with dark blue jeans and black leather shoes. Mark stands next to a hospital sister, dressed in a dark blue dress uniform. There are two children either side of them sat in wheelchairs. Everyone is smiling at the camera and one child holds up a sign which reads 'Robbie's Rehab'.Southampton Children’s Hospital
Southampton Children's Hospital opened Robbie's Rehab with the help of Robbie's dad, Mark (centre)

The memory of a young cancer patient who set up a fundraising charity has been honoured with a specialist rehabilitation ward.

Robbie Keville, 10, died from a brain tumour in 2016 - five years after his mother Kate died of breast cancer.

In tribute to the former Southampton Children's Hospital (SCH) patient, a specialist ward for children with brain injuries has been opened in the building.

Robbie's father, Mark, said he and Robbie's siblings were "overwhelmed" by the fundraising support to create Robbie's Rehab.

The ward consists of four beds dedicated to children with complex medical needs.

Family handout A black and white image of Robbie Keville. He is grinning and looking at the camera, he has short hair and is wearing a speckled hoodie. He is standing in front of some hedging.Family handout
Robbie Keville launched a fundraising charity after his mum died of breast cancer and before he died from a brain tumour

Robbie first became ill when he was seven years old and Mr Keville said: "Kids just like him will have somewhere to go in the hospital where they're not sitting between one kid with tonsillitis, another with a broken leg in a noisy children's ward.

"They'll have their own safe space to recover before they go home."

His father and older siblings, Harry and Lara have continued the charity Robbie set up in his honour.

With support from the children's hospital, a dedicated fund was set up in his name, which has since evolved to help other youngsters with neurological conditions.

Family handout Robbie is grinning and looking at the camera, but this time he is lying in a wood-frame single bed. His hair is shorter and he has a tube taped to the side of his face, feeding into his right nostril. Robbie has his arms raised above his head in a relaxed position and wears a long-sleeved pyjama top, one sleeve is red and white stripes, the other is black with a white skull print. His head is resting on a blue and white gingham print pillow and he is under a matching blue and white gingham duvet cover.Family handout
Robbie, 10, died in 2016 and his family has continued to raise money in his name for Southampton Children's Hospital

Mr Keville added: "At the centre of this fundraising mission has been a human story.

"A little boy, not long after he lost his mum, to be told he's got the same thing - cancer - was what really got everybody gathering in and raising money for this cause.

"If he saw today this ward actually with his name above the door, he'd be absolutely delighted."

'Wonderful legacy'

As well as the ward, fundraising in Robbie's name has paid for a dedicated room children can use as a quiet space for rehab like speech and language therapy and psychology sessions.

Georgina Bird-Lieberman, consultant neurologist at SCH, said Robbie's Rehab was "critical" to the quality of care they provide.

"Lack of space with dedicated facilities has limited the range of rehab activities we are able to provide on the wards.

"There is no imaginable way we would have been able to make this happen without the extraordinary generosity of the Keville family and all their donors.

"This incredible new space will make such a positive impact to our patients and will be a wonderful legacy for Robbie."

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