3 minute read
Inpatients Ward Manager – Lisa Glover
Nurse Sophie’s Stunning Skydive
Well-travelled nurse, Sophie Donnelly, who only joined the hospice in January, announced her arrival by signing up for a nerve-jangling, adrenalinefuelled, skydive to help us raise some more welcome funds. Sophie qualified in nursing in 2018 after a fairly late entry to what was always a yearned-for vocation. She’d previously been teaching English to adults in France and Spain between 2008 and 2013 as husband Graham’s job at Airbus had seen them spend all that time at their European operations. She’s been a bubbly addition to the inpatients ward team, loved by patients and colleagues alike. And now she’s jumped out of a plane for the hospice! If you’d like to skydive to raise funds for Wirral Hospice St John’s then please get in touch with our friendly team via events@wirralhospice.org or call 0151 343 0778.
If you’d like to donate the final pennies to Sophie’s hospice skydive follow her Just Giving page at www.justgiving.com/ fundraising/sophie-donnelly5
Light at the End of the Tunnel for Consultant Helen
Dr Helen Emms has worked at the hospice as a palliative care consultant for more than 15 years now.
She entered the 2021 Mersey Tunnel 10K for some really personal and special reasons. In early 2020 her own Dad, Ken (pictured here with Helen), became suddenly unwell and soon discovered his illness had progressed beyond a cure. As a Wirral resident and with his life-limiting illness he was referred to our Inpatient Ward. Helen told us, Our whole family were now on the other side of hospice support and I saw the hospice team provide Dad with the most incredible care that I had seen them give to so many other people for all those years. I knew more than ever that our hospice works to make every single moment count. After Dad died, and to cope with the grief, I started running. I downloaded Couch to 5K and, wearing an old pair of trainers and some maternity leggings I found at the back of the cupboard, I set off! Over the following 12 months I’ve improved my kit and kept running which definitely helps with my mental wellbeing as well as my physical health. The Mersey Tunnel 10K was my first ever official run. Literally hundreds of patients and their families have come to appreciate Helen’s complete professionalism but, almost more importantly, her heartfelt empathy and support for everyone who is going through the most challenging time of their lives. We know this because so many people tell us.
If you would like to add to Helen’s total by offering a kind donation please go to www.justgiving.com/ fundraising/helen-emms10K
Our Hospice Consultants: Standard Bearers for Excellence in Palliative Care
Working with all of Wirral’s health and social care providers, and led by our medical director, Dr Emma Longford, our consultants are real champions of hospice care.
They believe that people with life-limiting illnesses should be able to access the most appropriate care and support in whatever setting they choose. As well as offering professional, friendly and empathetic palliative care they’re all involved in the education of other health professionals, nurses, doctors, GPs and students, to promote best practise. They all go above and beyond to help Wirral Hospice St John’s and opposite and overleaf we’re focusing on two of our consultants’ efforts in 2021 to raise vital funds after undertaking sponsored running events.
