"My Mum"

My 79 year old Mum was taken to Wishaw General Hospital with a fractured skull and a brain bleed after a fall at home. We were told to prepare ourselves and she was moved to the Surgical Short Stay Unit under Palliative Care. My Mum is a wee fighter though and today, we are discussing the Care package to allow her to get home with rehab support, having made the most amazing recovery.

It is impossible for us to say just how wonderful the staff are in the Surgical Short Stay Unit and also the Rev. Harry of the Spiritual Care & Wellbeing Team at Wishaw General Hospital and the support and care they have given not only to my Mum but also the family. 

While caring for my Mum, they also cared for our Dad, my sister & her husband,  my daughters, my nephew and myself. They held my hand as I cried in the early hours of the morning beside my Mum's bedside. They answered all of our silly questions and listened to all of our silly stories. When Mum turned a corner and started to show improvement, they celebrated every small success and were the best cheerleaders my Mum could have.

The staff in the Short Stay Surgical Unit represent everything that is truly great about the NHS and each and every one of them is a credit to Wishaw General, NHS Lanarkshire and NHS Scotland. Because of them, I got to hear my Mum say my name again and to plan what she will wear to my daughter's wedding later this year.

Harry was amazing - he was with us every step of the way and has been wonderful with  Mum, helping her to make sense of what has happened and listening to her fears and concerns. Since talking to him, Mum's confidence has vastly improved and she is now so positive about the future.