More than £12,000 has been raised for a west Wales chemotherapy unit.

Alberto Almeida, Sarah Davies and Tomos Jones collectively raised £12,600 for Glangwili Hospital's Chemotherapy Day Unit.

Alberto, a patient at the unit, kick-started the fundraising in September 2023.

His efforts led to a charity football tournament and an evening at Llangain Hall in Carmarthen, featuring a raffle and an auction.

Tomos Jones, Alberto's 14-year-old godson, suggested participating in the Boxing Day Sea Dip in Tenby with his rugby team.

This initiative successfully contributed an impressive £1,600 to the overall total.

Commenting on their family's personal experience with the service, Sarah Davies, Alberto’s wife, said: "Alberto is very aware of the hard work done at the unit by all staff.

"He is extremely grateful to them for all their care and support.

"He feels that they are very much on the journey with him.

"We as a family will be forever grateful for their dedication."

Detailing Alberto's treatment process, she continued: "I have been confident when dropping him off at the door every fortnight knowing that they will look after him both physically and emotionally while he is in their care.

"That is a huge consolation and goes a very long way to helping us cope with our situation."

She went on to express their gratitude for the community's support: "So many people came to support both the football tournament and the fundraising evening.

"People's generosity has genuinely left us lost for words.

"It's sad to realise just how many people have already used the chemo unit, and how many never know if they might need it one day.

"We never imagined two years ago that it would become such a huge part of our lives, and we're grateful every day for the work they do.

"We're very proud of Tomos for suggesting the Boxing Day Sea Dip, and grateful to his teammates for agreeing to join him."

Nicola Llewelyn, Head of Hywel Dda Health Charities, also expressed her thanks to the family: "We want to thank Alberto, Sarah and Tomos for raising such a fantastic amount for the Chemotherapy Day Unit at Glangwili Hospital."

She emphasised the importance of community support for the NHS, saying: "The support of our local communities enables us to provide services over and above what the NHS can provide in the three counties of Hywel Dda and we are extremely grateful for every donation we receive."