Raising funds for Our Frontline: a grateful patient gives back
After two operations for cancer, Henry felt determined to give back to the frontline staff that were there to support him. On February 20th, he will be climbing Bredon Hill to raise funds for Shout and Mind, as part of Our Frontline.
Would you like to donate to Henry? Visit his fundraising page here.
I am climbing Bredon Hill, just 1,000 ft above sea level, but a challenge to me after two cancer surgeries. The purpose is to get fit, but also celebrate my successful treatment and all-clear during the pandemic, which is no mean feat. But more important is to mark the incredible service that frontline workers give and the strain that they are being put under.
It has been a very tough year
I was struck during one night in hospital by a young Spanish nurse who was tending my ward of very sick men with such kindness. He had a bad back and looked exhausted. He explained that it has been a very tough yearCoping with stress: Advice for hospital staff during the COVID pandemic This one-page PDF from the COVID Trauma Working Group gently discusses some of the emotions you may be feeling, reassures you that your responses are normal, and offers advice for coping with this difficult situation. By: COVID Trauma Response Working Group View resource. During my stay in three hospitals and three ICUs I met many nurses who had been through the first wave of the pandemic and talked cogently about the horror and isolation of those early weeks, now, of course, being repeated in hospitals during the 2nd wave. I felt that strain must be intolerable, and that anyone, however robust, might buckle under it.
We’ve been relying on frontline workers for nearly a year. They work long hours, often go without thanks, and are not paid especially well. Added to this, during the pandemic, they have been exposed to an extremely nasty illness, with many sickening and dying. No wonder some suffer mental health problems.
The message is quite simply this – we need to be there for the people who have been there for us during this unprecedented crisis.
Would you like to donate to Henry? Visit his fundraising page here.
