Patient of the Year 2006: Ella House
A dog who kept her sunny personality, even after having extensive surgery for cancer, has been named Burnham House's Patient of the Year 2006. Ella, who lives with her family in West Hougham, first came to us with a lump in the roof of her mouth, which extended down one side of her jaw.
At first, vet Jeremy Stattersfield thought the situation was hopeless as the cancerous lump would be hard to remove without taking most of Ella's face. However, years of surgical experience and an operating theatre equipped with laser surgery facilities meant that the Burnham House team could operate. The procedure took four hours and preserved most of Ella's good looks.
Head Nurse Leasa Neame said: "The staff voted for Ella because she never complained and woke up after such extensive surgery happy to see the nursing team caring for her."