After seeing our Forget Me Not display at Brindleyplace and reading some of the stories of people who have dedicated flowers to their loved ones, Amy was inspired to share her story of her grandad Thomas…
March the 4th 2017….what turned into the worst day of our lives was made so dignified and loving by your nurses and staff.
Grandad originally came to you for calcium treatment and pain management. He had been treated for oesophageal cancer two years previous and had recovered or so we thought, it came to light he also had kidney cancer six weeks after his operation, then in January this year we were dealt another cruel hand when doctors discovered his prostate cancer had come back 15 years after radioactive treatment.
Grandad was a fighter and fought the battle with cancer for nearly three years, the cancer took it out of him, he was a big man and dropped to below 6 stone by the time of his death. He never stopped living, he tried everyday to live his life to the full.
My grandad Tom was a great man (I know everyone says that about their loved ones) but anyone who met Tom loved him. He was a family man and loved his wife, children and grandchildren above anything else. He would go out of his way to make his grandchildren happy, taking us on holidays and day trips, he really showed us what the meaning of a beautiful life is.
What I think is fantastic is that we were able to be with my grandad until the very end, we were able to stay with him, your nurses were so helpful and supporting to us as Tom’s family, as well as him as your patient. You gave him a dignified and gracious end of life. Your work doesn’t get enough credit in my eyes, I can never be able to repay you for the precious gift you gave us of time with our dad and grandad, time to say goodbye and time to remember him with the beautiful forget-me-nots. We have pledged support for ours and we already have a space in our garden which grandad loved so very much. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts. Tom Farrar’s family x
Thank you so much for sharing Tom’s story with us Amy, your words mean a lot to us all here at Birmingham St Mary’s.
