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Charity / About the house
Every Kid Needs a Hero
T
o mark National Grandparents Day (Sunday 4th October), Marco Quasimodo relates how St Catherine’s Hospice helped his Grandad and supported his family at the time it was needed most… “My grandad, known to all as ‘Bambi’, was my hero. I, as the eldest grandchild, gave him the name. He wanted to be called Gramps but as a toothless toddler I couldn’t say it, so Bambi he became! Bambi was full of love for all his family. He was the glue that held us together. He would make us laugh, give us guidance and was my very best friend. Bambi didn’t wear a cape or his pants outside his trousers, he didn’t need to, his just being there for all of us meant the world. “In the summer of 2006, Bambi had started acting a little oddly, and we all thought it was because of the malaria tablets he was taking for a forthcoming trip with Nan to South Africa. I offered to drive them to Heathrow and became extremely worried when Bambi was dropping things and not himself. Nan and Bambi had only been in South Africa for two days when my Mum got a devastating call telling us that Bambi was in hospital and they had found a brain tumour. Nan and Bambi came home. For Bambi return to the UK was the start of a lot of hospital visits, and a spell in St Georges. We all spent as much time as we could with him. “Bambi lost his independence, not able to drive or make simple decisions. In March 2007, Bambi went into St Catherine’s Hospice for medication review. After a couple of days, it was evident that Bambi was deteriorating quite fast. We, as a family, made sure he was never alone, and the staff at St Catherine’s also made sure that he was comfortable and loved. He was always clean shaven and took pleasure in a good, old fashioned wet shave. During his stay at St Catherine’s, he was in desperate need of a freshen up and one of the nurses volunteered to make sure he looked his best.
Things didn’t exactly go to plan as she managed to leave the plastic safety cover on his disposable razor, but she still gave him a full makeover. We laughed as he was none the wiser, and the gesture was attempted with the best intentions. “In the early hours of 2nd April 2007, Bambi lost his fight, surrounded by most of his family. Our family were offered the love and care we needed from St Catherine’s staff, but that day our music died. “I remember after Bambi passed away we retreated to the lounge area at the hospice while the nurses did what they had to do. “Shortly, one of the senior nurses came through and knelt down next to my Nan, who was sat in a comfy chair. She took Nan by the hand and, ever so gently, placed Bambi’s wedding ring inside her hand, while using her other hand to cradle over Nan’s. The nurse told Nan to cherish Bambi’s ring for ever and keep it safe at all times. “My Nan was left without Bambi for nearly 13 years – we sadly lost her on 1st June this year – she was 84 and had lived a long and happy life. “St Catherine’s were on hand, once again, to offer us support in the days following Nan’s passing. They offered my family any help and counselling if we required it. We, as a family, hold St Catherine’s very dear to our hearts, and we won’t ever forget how much they were there for us when we needed them most. “Hopefully Bambi and Nan are now reunited where they can carry on where they left off, happy in the knowledge that we think about them every day.” To make a donation to support St Catherine’s, so they can continue to care for more people like Bambi and his family in the future, please visit: www.stch.org.uk/donate. Laura Mitchell, St Catherine’s Hospice Left: Bambi and Nan on their wedding day Right: Bambi and Marco, 1987
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