A nurse has taken centre stage in a charity campaign as she prepares to spend her tenth Christmas period in a row looking after patients at St Giles Hospice.
Keeley Sherwin works as a nurse on the inpatient unit in Whittington, caring for local people and their families living with a terminal illness.
This year the 28-year-old has taken on a starring role as the face of the hospice’s Christmas Appeal.
For the past nine years she has worked either Christmas Day or Boxing Day as well as a number of Christmas Eve shifts – and she says she wouldn’t have it any other way.
“I love working at Christmas because it’s truly magical – the atmosphere is indescribable.
“Many of my favourite Christmases have been spent at the hospice, seeing patients and families spending quality time together and witnessing the unconditional love they all have for each other.
“If I’m working Christmas Day then as a family, we move our Christmas Day to Boxing Day. I can celebrate Christmas on another day, but our patients can’t.
“For many, this may be their last Christmas, which is why it’s so important that we help create special memories for families to cherish forever.”
Keeley Sherwin
The Christmas experience is a key part of life at the hospice with presents left in patients’ rooms before they wake and a traditional turkey dinner with all the trimmings.
“I will always remember a lady visiting St Giles after her husband had died, to say how much their last Christmas had meant to her.
“It was the one final day that they spent time together feeling like a real family unit, and that’s what Christmas is all about.
“At St Giles, we help to make Christmas special for our patients by bringing a bit of home into the hospice. We encourage everyone to put up their favourite decorations, and we’ve even had patients with big 6ft trees at the end of their bed, because if that’s what they’d do at home, then they should be able to do it here.”
Keeley Sherwin
The Christmas Appeal has been launched to help fund the work carried out by St Giles Hospice.
Elinor Eustace, income generation director at St Giles said:
“It’ll cost St Giles £850,000 in December alone to support local people and we’re still seeing a significant impact on our income as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic.
“I know the festive season can be quite an expense, but we hope local people will continue to support us as our patients need us more than ever.
“Every £1 makes a difference and a £5 donation could pay for a patient to have a Christmas meal with their family.
“It is really important for us to be able to create special memories for families to cherish in the future.”
Elinor Eustace
People can support the Christmas fundraising campaign at www.stgileshospice.com/ChristmasCare or by calling 01543 432538.
