CHILDREN on two wards at Musgrove Park Hospital will be able to tune into their favourite TV programmes thanks to a former patient.

Sophie Holt, aged six, was so grateful for the treatment she received for leukaemia at the hospital that she decided to raise money to thank the doctors and nurses there.

Sophie, who finished 27 months of treatment last September, and her family held an afternoon of tea, cake and music in St Andrew's Church Hall.

Sister Millie, nine, and friends Bethany and Kate helped serve the teas, while music was provided by Tone Woodwind Tuition, run by Sophie's aunt, Carolyn Tudor.

The event raised £1,260, which was used to buy seven combined television and DVD players for the single bays on Oak and Acorn wards, where Sophie spent much of her time during her treatment.

Sophie's mum, Nicola Perry, said: "Sophie said, ‘I want to give some money to the doctors and nurses to say thank you’, so we spoke to the ward and asked if there was anything specific they would like and they said about TVs.

"We felt it was important for all the children on the ward to have TVs because the longer you are there, there is only so much colouring-in you can do before you need a break.

"We wanted to make sure that all children who stay in individual bays on the ward have that facility. And it’s nice to know where the money we raised is going.

"There are so many ways we can say thank you to everyone, and that never seems enough, so to be able to give something which helps everyone on the ward is lovely."

Ward sister Vanessa Knowles said: "It’s really lovely seeing children come back to visit the ward after everything they have been through.

"And to receive such a generous donation that other children can benefit from is wonderful. We are very grateful to Sophie and her family for raising the money to buy the TVs for us."