Sheila was introduced to the Hospice after being diagnosed with Motor Neurone Disease in 2021. Her husband Derek became quickly overwhelmed upon realising she would need continuous care, but the couple are now regulars at our Letchworth Community Hub, always attending with smiles on their faces.
"We never dreamed Sheila had Motor Neurone Disease," Derek began. "We just thought maybe she'd had a bad stroke."
"The situation got on top of me and I started suffering from Nervous Exhaustion. The doctor recommended I get back in touch with the Hospice and I was encouraged to have counselling. Unfortunately, my generation is not normally open to it. But I have had the benefit of the other way of looking at things. Talking doesn't harm. It is strange for someone of my generation because we were brought up 'men don't cry'. But we had six sessions and I found it extremely good."
Derek was also offered Reiki services through our Rehab and Wellbeing team. Whilst he received treatment, it was recommended Sheila attend our Community Hub at the same time. Despite losing her voice because of her illness, she can still communicate using a monitor with infrared rays. This allows her to type words with her eyes which she can then speak.
"It's very frustrating, because my mind is still in-tact," Sheila explained. "But I've made some very good friends. I love coming to the coffee morning; I cannot wait for Friday to come."
"I'm now enjoying the coffee mornings with Sheila, very much so," Derek added. "That is the highlight of our week.
"The Hospice has provided an enlightenment to us. It's opened our eyes to the world is not as bad as what we thought."
