My Story

Over the past couple of years I have lost two of my grandparents and the RUH on both occasions did their upmost to make sure my Grandad and my Nan were comfortable for the duration of their stay and provided as much support as they could even when the lockdown restrictions made this a seemingly impossible task.

In memory of my Grandparents I'll be raising money to help support those that helped them in their final moments.

Any support will mean the world, I have gone into full detail on my experiences below.

My Grandad

My Grandad suffered from Alzheimer's for years before his eventual passing in June 2020. Despite him not being able to fully function towards the end, my Nan was adamant that he would not go into a nursing home and cared for him until the end.

It may sound cold but the Grandad I knew and loved growing up had passed a while before his physical self took his last breath, and the sole reason it hadn't come earlier was simply down to the care provided by Nan on a daily basis.

Due to the COVID restrictions at the time I was unable to visit him in hospital when it was his time which despite him not understanding, hurt. My Dad, his siblings and my Nan were able to see him thankfully due to the support provided by those in the RUH.

My Nan

My Nan passed away from Cancer/Pneumonia earlier this year. This situation was the complete opposite of my Grandad. 

With my Grandad we had time to process, we knew it was coming and by the time it happened, he was no longer the person we knew.

On Christmas day 2021 I was sat next to my Nan watching TV, with her providing her usual criticism of the "absolute bollocks that they put on the telly nowadays" seemingly her usual self. Just 2 weeks later I was in the RUH seeing her for the final time.

She went to the hospital in early Jan 22 for constipation, a seemingly standard problem for someone in their 80s and nothing to cause worries according to the local GP (my parents didn't even tell me at first thinking she'll be in and out within a day). But she never came out and scans found cancer and she was given 3-9 months.

Hearing this was crushing, how could the person I was sat next to just a few days ago be so ill and me not know? The next day I got a further call that she had now contracted Pneumonia, and although they can treat it, her nervous system was so weak that she'd contract it again in a few days. And even if they wanted to, my Nan was refusing all treatment.

She had lost her husband, her reason to fight, so she was ready to go.

So where I had been given a measly 9 months left with my nan, this had been quickly shortened to an estimated 3 days within a matter of hours. 

I quickly scrambled and the day after receiving that call, thanks to those at the RUH, I was able to say goodbye to my Nan, who was still awake, and aware but weak. 

It was brutally heartbreaking to see this person who had been such a strong figure for your whole life struggling to breathe. But I'm glad I got the chance.

Despite the doctors saying that it'll happen within 3 days, my Nan held on for 6 days, eventually passing on what would have been my Grandad's birthday. My Nan would have known this and it can't be a coincidence.

Sorry for waffling on here, basically I wanted to do something good to mark 1 year of streaming and having the opportunity to raise money for those who supported my Grandparents in their final moments seems like the right thing to do.

The Forever Friends Appeal:

The Charity helps the RUH Bath to do more and provide exceptional healthcare for everyone in the community. Pushing the boundaries of healthcare through innovation, research, cutting-edge equipment, enhancing spaces and supporting staff to be extraordinary.