Tributes to inspirational Leeds nurse who 'dedicated 30 years of his life' to helping children with cancer

The Leeds children’s cancer charity Candlelighters was among those leading the tributes to David Thomas, describing how he had dedicated “over 30 years of his life to helping children, young people and their families”.

The lead nurse for children's palliative care at Leeds Children’s Hospital, David had worked closely with the charity since he first joined the Children’s and Teenage Haemotology and Oncology service in Leeds in 1994. His passion for making the lives of others better meant that he was very much part of the “Candlelighters family” and played an instrumental role in bringing about many improvements to its services.

Emily Wragg, the charity’s chief executive, said: “David was forward-thinking, he wasn’t afraid of change. He would embrace new ideas to make things better for families and he was passionate in helping us. We were one team regardless of employers, we worked together to achieve so much.