What this community raised together changed the future for children with brain tumours in Southampton.
Before we became Imagine This, we were The Murray Parish Trust. We were a charity founded by two parents who lost their daughter, determined to do something. And the biggest thing we ever did, before we rebranded and grew into the national charity we are today, was this.
In partnership with University Hospital Southampton, we changed what is possible for children undergoing brain surgery in Southampton.
In June 2025, the iMRI Suite became fully operational. And from that day forward, approximately 200 children every year who come to University Hospital Southampton for brain surgery receive something their predecessors could not: precision in real time, fewer operations, less time sedated, and a better chance.
For a child with a brain tumour, surgery is terrifying enough. For many families, it was also only the beginning.
Because sometimes, even after surgery, surgeons couldn't be certain they'd removed everything. Without being able to see clearly in real time, they had to make difficult judgement calls. Which sometimes meant a child coming back for a second operation. And sometimes meant a journey across the country that a family should never have had to make.
Keisha was nine years old when she was first diagnosed.
When her tumour returned at thirteen, there was no intraoperative MRI available in Southampton. To give her the best possible chance, her family had to travel six hours to Liverpool for surgery. Her treatment continued for four more years. She died at seventeen.
She is why this appeal mattered. And she is why the people who gave to make it happen have changed the future, for every child who comes after her.
An intraoperative MRI scanner allows surgeons to perform a brain scan during the operation itself, in real time, without moving the patient.
Before it existed, surgeons finished an operation and hoped they'd seen enough. Now they can scan mid-surgery, assess what's been removed, identify what remains, and continue in the same sitting.
"Where it is difficult to tell between healthy tissue and a tumour, we would err on the side of caution rather than inflict damage to the child. The iMRI would mean we could operate in one sitting."
Dr Aabir Chakraborty, Lead Consultant Neurosurgeon, University Hospital Southampton
When the suite opened in June 2025, Sarah Parish MBE and Jim Murray MBE said:
"The iMRI scanner is transformative, both medically and emotionally. It allows critically ill patients to undergo safer, more effective procedures. We know first-hand how terrifying it is when a child is undergoing surgery. This iMRI scanner helps to reduce the anxiety and distress for both the child and their family. Knowing this scanner is there to guide surgeons in real time is deeply reassuring. We are so proud to have helped bring this technology to Southampton and are incredibly grateful to everyone who made it possible."
Sarah Parish MBE and Jim Murray MBE
Paul Grundy, Chief Medical Officer at University Hospital Southampton, said:
"The state-of-the-art iMRI scanner is a game-changer for UHS, giving surgeons the ability to obtain real-time, live images during surgery. This technology enables quicker diagnosis and treatment planning. It reduces risks as well as the need for repeat procedures, enhancing the overall recovery of our patients."
Paul Grundy, Chief Medical Officer, University Hospital Southampton
You are part of what made this happen.
The iMRI suite is built, funded, and open. For every child who comes to Southampton for brain surgery from now on, what is possible has changed.
What this community raised together is permanent. It cannot be undone.
This is what giving to Imagine This achieves. Not just today. For years and decades to come.
The iMRI project was completed under our previous name, The Murray Parish Trust. We rebranded to Imagine This in July 2025 as we grew our mission nationally. If you'd like to support a current Imagine This project, explore what we're working on now.
