“Penny is an absolute angel. I’m so lucky to have her"

One day earlier this year one of my clients called me on a Tuesday morning. I had been going in to see her twice a week for over two years. We would email each other between visits with any information that seemed important, and sometimes to say, “Remind me to tell you what happened today because it will make you laugh!”.

She loved the seaside so whenever I went to the sea, I would take her a photo or a video. She had been housebound for many years but she used to go and visit the seaside via a CCTV link that apparently anyone can access to look at Sidmouth beach. She would tell me about the waves and the people as if she had been there in person. I knew she was lonely and wouldn’t be seeing anyone over the weekend so sometimes when I was in Southsea, I just sent the photo from the sea with a little message so she knew we were thinking of her and she had some contact with the outside world.

And so we plodded on, but she never ever phoned so when she did my heart leapt. We knew she was poorly but things had got worse and she told me that the surgery had called her an ambulance. She sounded shocked and not sure what to do so I said, “Would you like me to come and help pack a bag?”, and she did so I went straight over.

We started out in a bit of a flap trying to find a bag and think of everything she would need. Then I told her that if she had forgotten anything I would bring it the next day. The ambulance took rather longer than we thought. The surgery called to see how she was. I made us some lunch to pass the time. It seemed clear that she didn’t want me to go until they arrived so I stayed. I stayed for five hours.

The ambulance crew were so kind. As I carried the bag onto the ambulance she felt a bit tearful and I gave her a hug. I went in to the hospital to see her every day that week. I took clothes home and hand washed blood out of them. I took them back along with a Costa coffee. Our last email was me sending a photo from the seaside and her saying thank you.

At her funeral, her oldest friend showed me a text she had sent that week saying, “Penny is an absolute angel. I’m so lucky to have her". But I was lucky to have her too. She leaves a big hole in our hearts.

Hook Home Help is a small team of women helping people in and around Hook. Contact me if you would like to know about what we do

#homehelp #homecare #community #support #companionship #testimonial #hampshire #KindnessMatters #Makeadifference #smallbusiness #startup