28 January 2022
Finding love in ICU
SaTH nurse Ollie Foster and Helen Birch, an Operating Department Technician, have been hitting the headlines after finding love in ICU – while wearing full PPE. The couple, who have just marked the first anniversary since they first met, have appeared on ITV’s Lorraine and have or will be appearing in national newspapers.
with their eyes behind their visors after a twist of fate saw them working alongside each other in ICU during the second wave of the pandemic. Helen had volunteered to help at RSH's ICU. Normally she worked at RJAH – so they would never have crossed paths.
Intensive Care Nurse Ollie said: “We were both in full PPE and so you could The couple communicated only see each other's
eyes. It was a very difficult night but somehow we gelled communicationwise and working as a team. We made a connection. I have been working for 25 years in nursing and that has never happened in the same way. I do feel it was meant to be.” Over the following weeks they shared the same break at work, meaning they were able to see each other's faces while
wearing smaller masks in the staff canteen – two metres apart. When restrictions eased, their first date was a coffee on a garage forecourt - in separate cars as cafes were still not open. Helen said: “We are a great team. If we can be there for each other during the hardest times then, together I think we will be able to tackle anything life throws our way.”