AN ABINGDON man with a chronic bowel condition has raised more than £4,000 to buy a machine that detect veins to help fellow patients.

Kenny Moore was diagnosed a year and a half ago with Ulcerative Colitis, similar to Crohns Disease, which left him constantly fatigued and dehydrated.

The 57-year-old was placed on a clinical trial for a drug called Vedolizumab, which involves him travelling to Banbury's Horton General Hospital every two months for IV infusions.

ALSO READ: Do you have an unsung hospital hero to thank?

Mr Moore, who works for Oxford Refrigeration and Air Conditioning, said the treatment had been difficult for him, explaining: “I’m one of those people whose veins are not easy to find as they hide and I get anxious around blood and needles so putting a cannula in for the infusion can be a drama, on my first visit I got so stressed they thought I was having a heart attack."

He added: “Seeing so many people come in and having similar problems I did a bit of research and discovered a machine that would show up all the veins in an area that it scanned and this makes it extremely easy for the nurse doing the cannulation to detect the best vein and it’s location. Everyone who visits the ward is having infusions so all need to be cannulated at a time they are not feeling great."

Oxford Mail:

Mr Moore belongs to the Oxford Masons and with their help has fundraised £4,325 to purchase the machine, called the Accuvein AV400.

He added: “It’s been a big effort by the Freemasons of Berkshire and Oxfordshire, which in itself is rare as we normally stay in our boundaries.”

Lynne Beeson, Sister at the Horton Day Case Unit, said: “We’re incredibly grateful to Kenny for this generous donation.

ALSO READ: Hospital chief signs up to 500-mile ride

"We see about 20 patients per day who need an infusion in their veins for all kinds of conditions, and the Accuvein 400 will help our nurses to locate their veins with more accuracy.

"This means the whole process is a lot smoother, meaning less stress for our patients."

Damon Boughen from Oxford Hospitals Charity said: “It is thanks to the hard work of groups and fundraisers that we are able to make improvements like this for staff and patients at the Horton."

He added the charity would be 'delighted' to hear from other local community groups interested in helping.