In 2009 I met now 80 year old Patricia in Ealing Hospital where she was waiting for a valve replacement operation. Since then I regularly met her and her best friend Marion (who sadly just passed away) for a cup of tea and gossip. Patricia is doing fairly well for her age but I suspect for a while that she has early stages of dementia and the very recent death of her best friend knocked her back quite badly.
In addition to that, Patricia's only living relative is a younger sister who is ill and in Brighton Hospital. I tried to get more information out of Patricia but it is quite difficult. What I definitely know is that Patricia hasn't seen her sister for some years. Before that, Patricia used to travel to Brighton at least once a year and her sister would come and visit her as well. But after a fall on a tube station escalator, Patricia was too scared to go on her own.
I want to help Patricia by accompanying her to Brighton that she can spend some time with her sister. I'd like to go at least once before Christmas and if I manage to raise enough money to spend one night in Brighton to not exhaust Patricia too much. Depending on the raised money I'd also like to do the same again early next year.