Ashgate DragonFly Appeal video

Ashgate HospiceDragonfly Appeal

Transcript

00:00I'd heard of Ashgate, I knew that Ashgate as a as a place existed but I literally knew nothing

00:10about it other than it was a place that people went to die which is obviously what people normally

00:14think of with the hospice and that's just completely the wrong impression. Sue received

00:20her first diagnosis for rheumatoid arthritis over 40 years ago then eventually she developed side

00:26effects of liver scarring, diabetes and then towards the end of her life she was diagnosed

00:32with a faulty heart valve which turned into terminal heart failure. She needed something more than the

00:38Royal could offer and that's when Ashgate was suggested to us. We knew the inevitable was going

00:42to come and Ashgate was so serene, so calm, it did, it's wonderful. I practically lived at Ashgate,

00:52I visited every day. The cafe ladies made me a Sunday lunch, you know I was part of the staff,

00:58I felt part, it was like a second family, it was wonderful. Throughout the whole you know the whole

01:05time when mum was alive there was so much support and then since mum's died then you've carried on

01:09having support from from the hospice haven't you dad? I was invited to the bereavement meetings

01:14which I went to from the bereavement meetings three of us meet up every every few weeks and

01:19have lunch. The common factor even though we're all strangers the common factor of course is bereavement

01:24and the way Ashgate handled those bereavement meetings you didn't realise that she was doing

01:29it professionally it was like talking to a friend. Until you actually experience it you don't know

01:35what it's about. The care is about the person, the patient and tailoring the care to the patient and

01:42what the patient wants, what the patient needs, the love and the laughter. There's so much laughter there

01:47as well which I think is is something that people probably don't expect is is there is laughter.

01:52You just feel so relaxed going through that door it's like entering a different world all the chaos

01:58is left behind and you're in this calm loving friendly supportive atmosphere. The pleasure that

02:06Sue got just being wheelchaired out into the garden, her face lit up and the overall feeling of

02:12oh thank goodness we're here. Ashgate just you know gives you something that nowhere else can.

02:18Nowhere else can. Mum liked it when there were the animals that came into the hospice so you know

02:23Bobby Dazzler that used to come in. The lady who brought Bobby Dazzler in used to bring in treats

02:27and Bobby Dazzler would wait by the bed for mum to give him a treat which just was really really lovely

02:32and then towards the end of mum's care in the hospice a pony actually came in as well and you were there

02:37on that day weren't you when the pony came in. This appeal and these dragonflies represent so much

02:42fresh gait and you know hopefully it will generate the income that you need so so desperately to be able

02:48to support families but what you give to everybody I don't think anybody can fully give back to you guys

02:53what you give to us. Mum loves Chatsworth. She absolutely loved it here and I think she'd be

03:02quite astounded that her name is going to be associated with with Chatsworth and then you know

03:08it to be linked with Ashgate as well which gave her so much care and love I think she just wouldn't

03:13really know what to make of it and she would be absolutely astounded.