Poetry book raising money for Bronglais Chemo Appeal

Ann Jones is raising money for the Bronglais Chemo Appeal after her husband, mother and brother received treatment at the hospital’s chemotherapy day unit.

Ann, a 58-year-old supply teacher and mum of three, is selling books of her late husband’s

poetry and has already raised more than £1,000 for the Appeal, which aims to raise the final £500,000 needed for construction to start on a new, purpose-built chemotherapy day unit for Bronglais Hospital.

Ann’s husband Rob was treated at the day unit for 14 years after being diagnosed with multiple myeloma at the age of 42.

Her 81-year-old mum, Joyce Phillips, is also currently being treated at the unit after being diagnosed with bowel cancer at the beginning of lockdown, along with Ann’s 60-year-old brother Michael Phillips, who is currently being monitored after finishing chemotherapy following his own bowel cancer diagnosis.

Rob, a farmer, was always full of praise for the treatment he received at the day unit and, after he passed away in 2018, Ann decided to publish a book of his poems to raise money for the unit.

Ann, who lives near Llangwyryfon in north Ceredigion, said: “Rob always received such brilliant care and my mother and my brother are also currently getting the same first-class care, so as a family we wanted to do something to help with the Appeal.

“Rob loved writing poems and would often pen ones for birthdays and weddings of friends and family. There was a big box full of them. So, during the first lockdown, we decided to sort them and publish them into a book.

“We had 200 copies of Cerddi Rob Ty Cam printed this time last year and there are only around 70 copies left. The book is in sections, featuring limericks, poems for people’s birthdays and weddings, poems for children, humorous poems, and some love poems he wrote to me in our younger days.

“Once we have sold all the books, I will be donating the proceeds to the Bronglais Chemo Appeal,” added Ann, who has a son, Llyr, aged 31 and two daughters, Gwenan, 28 and Ffion, 22.

“I have spent a lot of time on the day unit in recent years and, while the care is brilliant, there is not enough privacy, so it will be great to see a new unit with a better environment and more space for staff, patients and their families.”

The book is for sale for £8 in Siop Inc, Siop y Pethe and the Farmer’s Co-op in Aberystwyth, and in Llanrhystud Post Office. There are also plans to sell them at the National Eisteddfod in Tregaron in August, on the Siop Inc stall.