News
Prince William unveils a state of the art children's scanner at Alder Hey Hospital in Liverpool
22nd February 2010
Prince William told a seven-year-old boy of his childhood experience in hospital as he unveiled a state-of-the-art scanner at a children's hospital today.
The 27-year-old told brain tumour patient Sion Meredith he was "scared" when he was in hospital as a child after being injured in a golfing accident.
The Prince was at Alder Hey Children's Hospital in Liverpool to open a new intra-operative 3-T MRI scanner, the first in Europe for children.
It was bought after a £3 million donation to the hospital's charity, the Imagine Appeal, by the Barclay Foundation.
Prince William said he sympathised with Sion, who was frightened and restless when he went in the noisy scanner for the first time in January last year.
The youngster, from Wrexham, wore a red Wales rugby shirt as he chatted to The Prince about football, rugby and time off school.
Sion was diagnosed with a common childhood brain tumour in January 2009.
It was successfully removed in December using the new intra-operative theatre suite at Alder Hey.
Prince William told Sion: "You are a very brave boy."
The Prince was given a tour of the operating theatre by Conor Mallucci, a consultant paediatric neurosurgeon at Alder Hey.
Speaking after he showed The Prince the new equipment, Mr Mallucci said the scanner was "a huge benefit".
He explained why there had been difficulties in scanning patients during surgery in the past.
"The problem has been MRI scanners don't like metal - they are huge magnets - and so it's taken years to develop a system where you can safely have theatres and MRI scanners together.
"This is the culmination of years of research to try and get the right combination."
There are similar scanners for adults in the UK, but this is the first exclusively for children.
He said buying scanners for children was not economically viable, as there are far fewer young patients.
"The adults have been reaping the benefits in the past, because the numbers of patients going through the units are much higher.
"But for children, we've really had to fight to get the money to apply the science to such few cases."
Mr Mallucci said he was "very excited and very thrilled" to meet the royal visitor.
"I was more nervous meeting Prince William than I was doing brain surgery.
"He was very warm, very relaxed. He's got a very passionate attitude and very knowledgeable. He looked very interested in what we were talking about."
Sion Meredith's parents Helen and Robert stood alongside their son while he spoke to Prince William.
Mrs Meredith said: "The Prince said he was an Aston Villa fan, and that he was disappointed because they lost 1- 0 to Liverpool.
"Sion supports Liverpool, so he was happy."
Prince William unveiled a commemorative drawing inside the theatre to mark its opening. The picture of Prince William wearing a red suit and a crown, was drawn by seven-year-old Lexi Wright, who won a competition.
Outside, hundreds of people waited by the hospital entrance to get a glimpse of Prince William.
They waved miniature Union flags, cheered and applauded. One woman gave him a red flower, and a man gave him two framed pictures.
A group of toddlers waved flags as he walked past, and he joked they were too young to realise why they were there.
The state-of-the-art MRI scanner has so far been used in 15 cases, said clinical zone manager Steve Allen.
He explained how one of the instruments in the theatre gives a "sat-nav" image of the brain, allowing surgeons to access up-to-date information.
The scanner can also be used after operations to make sure brain tumours have successfully been removed.
Aidan Barclay, from the Barclay Foundation, said: "We are both delighted and honoured through the purchase of this advanced scanning equipment to have the opportunity to play a small part, together with the staff, nurses doctors to help improve the lives of the many children who pass through Alder Hey."
Chair of Alder Hey's charity, the Imagine Appeal, Jim Davies said: "This fantastic facility, one of only two in the world, will allow Alder Hey to make serious ground breaking advances in the care and treatment of children and young people with serious and life threatening conditions."