Families of patients at the end of life benefit from kind donation to Alexandra Hospital

Monday 24 July 2023

Families of patients who are at the end of their life at Alexandra Hospital in Redditch are benefiting thanks to the generous donation of special equipment that allows relatives to rest alongside their loved one at a time when they often don’t want to leave them.

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After Lesley Kelly sadly passed away, surrounded by her family in the special end of life care room – named the Stephen Bailey Suite – at the Alexandra Hospital, her family wanted to show their appreciation and do something to help other families going through the same thing.

Lesley’s husband, Peter, and daughter-in-law, Kylie, decided to seek donations at her funeral to be able to purchase a ‘Buddy day bed’. The family did their own research into a company that supplies hospital equipment and following further fundraising, they purchased the special reclining chair and comfortable bed, having it delivered to Ward 12 at the Alexandra Hospital where the Suite is located. The family even ensured they had picked the same colour as the other furniture in the Suite so that it fits in perfectly.

Families often don’t want to go home and leave their relative when they are reaching the end of their life, so having this item available to them to rest completes the Stephen Bailey Suite.

Matron for the ward, Kirsty Stanton invited the Kelly family back to Ward 12 to see the day bed in place and to thank them in person for the kind donation to the Suite.

Matron Kirsty Stanton said: “Saying goodbye to a loved one at the end of their life is never an easy thing to do. Through the use of the Stephen Bailey Suite on Ward 12, staff hope to help make this experience as comfortable as possible.

“We’re so grateful to the Kelly family for their generous donation which is already making a huge difference to other families going through the same thing that they did in our Stephen Bailey Suite. We are overwhelmed by the generosity that the family has shown us during this difficult time for them.”