SADDLEWORTH-based children’s leukaemia charity The Samantha Jones Trust has donated £12,000 to help ease the fear of young patients at Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital.

The charity’s tireless fundraising has provided a specialist 3D Pain Distraction Unit to ease the worries of youngsters treated on the Bone Marrow Transplant Unit and take their minds off the medical procedures they can dread.

The state-of-the-art equipment projects a series of interactive 3D images and games that children can control and enjoy while they undergo medical treatment.

Wearing special 3D glasses, patients will become completely immersed in a colourful world of virtual reality that distracts them from pain and blocks out the frightening sights and sounds of the treatment room.

The Samantha Jones Trust was set up in memory of Samantha Jones, who was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia when she was 14 and admitted to Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital to begin chemotherapy.

Following gruelling treatment, Samantha went on to receive a bone marrow transplant at the hospital, which was donated by her sister Natalie who was a perfect match.

Although the transplant was initially a success, sadly the cancer returned in 2001and after months of battling against the illness, Samantha died in September the following year.

The trust, run by her family, is a tribute to Samantha’s tremendous courage through adversity.

They chose to donate money for a pain distraction unit as the Bone Marrow Transplant Unit is close to their hearts and the equipment will help to achieve their goal of making a difference to children undergoing gruelling treatments for leukaemia.

Samantha’s dad and chairman of the trust, Keith Jones, said: “As a family we spent most of a two-year period in hospital with our daughter Samantha and witnessed the distress that treatment can cause. We are delighted to offer this new equipment to the unit so that children can be put more at ease.

“TSJT was set up to help children and families through the periods of intense treatment and the 3D Pain Distraction Unit will achieve this.”

Elizabeth Coulson, senior development manager for Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital Charity said: “We’d like to extend a big thank-you to everyone at the trust.

“The unit will make a tremendous difference.”