Somerset-based Amy Gardiner, a senior medicine nurse at Cave Veterinary Specialists in West Buckland, has raised more than £2,000 for the doctors and nurses who looked after her during cancer treatment.

Amy was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer in 2019 and treated at the Bristol Royal Infirmary, Bristol Haematology and Oncology Centre and Southmead Hospital. 

She underwent cancer surgery, chemotherapy and radiotherapy, and afterwards wanted to show her appreciation for the expert care she’d received by supporting the charity Above and Beyond, which raises money for Bristol City Centre Hospitals. 

Unfortunately, the pandemic put paid to her plans for a fundraising event, so instead, Amy decided to sell Christmas trees from home and donate a percentage of the profits to the charity.

Amy said: “I wanted to give something back in return for the wonderful care the hospitals provided me with. 

"The people who work in this field truly are angels and made a terrifying road ahead much easier to get through. I really do not know how some of them do the jobs that they do.

"The charity Above and Beyond raises money for Bristol City Centre Hospitals, including the children’s hospital, so I decided to pick them so that all the hospitals that had been involved in my care would benefit."

Amy managed to sell 102 trees, well surpassing her original target of 70. She added: "I am extremely thankful to everyone who chose to support me and the charity. We had raised more than £2,000 by the end of January, which is fantastic. 

"I hope everyone enjoyed their beautiful real trees and I look forward to seeing them all again next year!"

Cave’s clinical director Nele Van den Steen said: “This was a wonderful effort by Amy and typical of her caring and considerate nature."

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