Brenda, Healthcare Assistant

I’ve worked here 17 years. I came to work here after my dad had been an In-Patient 25 years ago and the care that he received made me want to come and work here.

I work here because I care about the patients in the rooms, they’re what I’m here for.

People always expect it to be a sad place and it’s not a sad place. It’s being able to give quality of life while people have got a life. Quite often that’s a sense of fun, a sense of enjoying the time that’s left.

What I particularly enjoy doing is arranging special things for people. It can be the simplest thing but it means something to them and that’s a really good thing to do.

Recently we had a young lady and she wanted to be able to take her daughter to London but she was too ill for that. It was Halloween so we decorated the room with spider’s webs and all sorts. We did her room up and then we got them some pretend fizz, because her daughter was only 10.

She was just amazed, she realised she didn’t have to go anywhere, she could have everything there with her daughter and they had a special evening together.

It can also be something as simple as when a lady just wanted rollers putting in. That is the important thing to people, bringing a bit of normality into someone’s life when they’re at their lowest point really. That’s what I enjoy.

The number of people that say when they come through the doors they can feel the calm. People often say ‘you speak to us like you’ve known us forever’, you meet people and you can just put them at ease.

Help bring joy to peoples’ final days. Support St Gemma’s at www.st-gemma.co.uk/40faces-donation