Young patient and his mum return to hospital to thank 'amazing nurse'
A 15-year-old patient who underwent major surgery after an agonising football injury returned to Royal Derby Hospital to personally thank the nurse for the exceptional care he received during his time on Dolphin Ward.
Teenager Alfie Sanders along with his mum, Fiona, said they will "never forget" the care that Sister Sonya Beck provided for him and the brilliant company she kept at his bedside during a six-day stay.
The youngster, who is from Ashby, had suffered a serious injury and needed major surgery and four pins to fix his tibia and knee back together.
Sonya was Alfie’s main nurse during his treatment and provided exceptional care to him, including finding innovative ways to get him up and moving while he was in pain.
Fiona said: "She kept our spirits high and when we were at our lowest and gave us caring encouragement to look on the positive side of things.
"We laughed and joked together and when Alfie was starting his physio to walk again she sang 'I will walk 500 miles’ to encourage him. When Alfie didn’t believe he could walk she had him chanting ‘I can do this’ and with each step he got louder and louder chanting ‘I can do this’."
Not only did Sonya provide much needed support to Alfie, but she was there for Fiona too.
She said: "I remember breaking down in tears when Alfie was in extreme pain and the physio had returned to get him out of bed. Sonya held her arms out to me, gave me a big hug and then instructed me to get a coffee and fresh air and come back when I was ready.
"She reassured me that Alfie would be fine and he was. To us Sonya was our hero and we just wanted to show how much we appreciated everything she did for us. We will never forget her."
She made such an impact on the teen and his mum that they decided to nominate Sonya for a Patient Hero award. When Alfie was asked what he thought of Sonya while his mum submitted the nomination, he replied: "She was like you, Mum."
Upon receiving her award in front of many of her elated colleagues, Sonya said: "It means the world to know that I have made a difference. We only want the best for our patients and do whatever it takes to make them feel better. In this case it was lots of reassurance for both Fiona and Alfie during the tough times.
"I feel incredibly touched that they took the time to nominate me for this award with such lovely words. The job can be hard but it is also so rewarding, especially at times like this."
Sharon Martin, Executive Chief Operating Officer, presented Sonya with the award and said it was clear to see the rapport she had built with Alfie's family.
She said: "Fiona and Alfie have shared some really kind words about the care you gave to them and it is clear that your compassion made a difference to their experience.
"You’ve had some really tough times recently and the activity in Paediatrics has been really high so you should be proud that you have still managed to deliver the exceptional care we ask of you even when working flat out.
"I know that those words will mean a lot you and this award is well-deserved."
Nominate a colleague for a Monthly Making a Difference Award
If you would like to nominate a colleague or team for a Monthly Making a Difference Award, please let us know.
There are four monthly Making a Difference Awards categories:
- Chief Executive Award – chosen by our CEO
- Patient Hero Award – nominated by patients
- Team UHDB Award – you can nominate your team or another team
- Excellent Employee Award – you can nominate your colleagues
You can send a 300 word nomination, along with the name of the team or individual, their job title and where they work, to: uhdb.employeeawards@nhs.net.