For Susan, animals have always been a big part of her life. And during her stay at Pendleside Hospice, it wasn't long before the team discovered just how much she loved them.
At 75, Susan has always been someone who has kept busy. Alongside her late husband, Derek, she ran a number of businesses over the years, including a fish farm. Unfortunately, due to poor water quality, they eventually had to close the fish farm. But rather than letting the pond go to waste, Susan and Derek left it to nature. Before long, the pond had become a haven for wildlife.
Her love of wildlife has stayed with her ever since, and she still has her own pond at home today, with plenty of animals making it their own.
Susan was admitted to Pendleside Hospice for symptom control, where she spent time with the team sharing stories about the animals and wildlife she loves. It soon became clear just how special animals are to her. Her whiteboard was even decorated with a picture of a zoo.
Susan had also told the team that, if she could go anywhere, she would love to visit the zoo and see all the animals, with a kangaroo being high on her list.
It just so happened that Pendleside's annual Community Day was taking place during Susan's stay. As part of the celebrations, the Hospice was holding a teddy tombola, with people generously donating teddies. On the final day of teddy collections, a kangaroo and her baby joey arrived at the Hospice.
It wasn't long before the kangaroo and joey were making their way to Susan's room.As soon as she was handed the teddy, her face lit up.
She gave it a big kiss before holding it close to her chest. Susan said: “Ooh, I just love it, it is going to cuddle meis that.”
She added: “I’m 75 and cuddling a soft toy. Usually I would be cuddling a cat at home, and this is the closest thing I could get. It is beautiful. Thanks for thinking of me.”
Susan also got the chance to join in with Community Day during her stay, heading outside onto the Hospice grounds to enjoy the celebrations. And, of course, with her love of animals, she couldn't resist having her face painted as a tiger!
For Susan, it is the little things throughout her stay that have made such a difference.
“The Hospice is better than any hotel I’ve ever been in. The team are absolutely marvellous,” she said.
“From being admitted, the welcome I got, even down to the whiteboard being filled in with a welcome message. It is just little things like that. It is the little things that make a difference.
“There has not been one single person that has walked in that door without a big smile on their face. The difference that makes.”
For Susan, it was a small gesture that brought a huge smile to her face and another example of the little things that have made such a difference during her time at Pendleside.
If you’d like to help Pendleside Hospice continue providing care, comfort and those little moments that make such a difference to people like Susan, please consider making a donation. Donate to us