A new cancer unit has opened. It cost £3 million. It will take its first people on Monday.
People in the area raised the money. They walked, rode bikes, danced, and even dressed as Elvis to help. Now, the new unit is ready. It is twice as big as the old one. The old hospital had a spot for cancer care for over 30 years. But this is the first time the hospital has its own special unit for cancer.
Jeremy Turner is a local man getting cancer care at the hospital now. He said, "This place is only five minutes from home. I don't just come in now and then. They watch me all the time and look after me very well. If I had to go far for my care, it would be hard for me and my family."
He added, "The nurses work in a small, tight place. This new space will help them a lot. People think big towns get the best care, but small places need it too. It is key we keep good care here in mid-Wales."
Dr. Elin Jones is a top doctor at the hospital. She said when she started in 2004, care was in a small room by the main ward. "It was packed and not good enough," she said. "The staff all pulled together to make this dream happen. We did it with help from the people we care for.
She said money from the NHS is small. If the public had not helped, the new unit could have taken 10 or 15 years to get. "If you want to get things done, you just ask the people, and wow, they sure did help us," she told BBC Radio Wales. "They have been so kind and gave so much."
Megan Jones Roberts lives in Aberystwyth. She has had 21 rounds of cancer care at this hospital. She said the new place was "lovely" and made a "big change" for her. She thanked Dr. Jones, calling her a "star" for working hard to make the new unit real.
Ms. Roberts said she was "very lucky" to get her care near her home. She knew some people had to drive far, to places like Llanelli, Swansea, or Cardiff, for care before. The new unit lets eight people get care at once, not just four like before. "It is so good to have this here," she said.
Peter Skitt from the health board said, "Opening the Leri Cancer Unit is a huge thing for us all. This place shows how much people in our area care. They made this happen. We look forward to giving back to them."