Christmas at Lindsey Lodge: “The best Christmas gift is the gift of love, and that is what they gave us.”

The festive season often evokes images of joy and celebration. However, for many facing life-limiting illnesses, this time of year can be particularly challenging. Yet, within the walls of Lindsey Lodge Hospice, a beacon of hope and compassion shines brightly.

Ruth Wyld, a dedicated volunteer at Lindsey Lodge, shares a poignant story of her husband, Glyn, who spent his final Christmas at the hospice.

Ruth’s husband, Glyn Wyld, had been a patient at Lindsey Lodge for 17 years. He had been living with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma and was under our care as a day patient, helping to manage his symptoms and look after his well-being.

But it was the Christmas of 2019 when it became clear that Glyn was moving towards the end of his life. Christmas was always Glyn’s favourite time of the year, and so it became a goal for Glyn to make it for one more Christmas with his family. He spoke about wanting the moment of Christmas morning on his bed with his children and grandson opening presents around him, but as he began to deteriorate in the hospital, it became clear that he may not reach his goal.

It was then that his consultant at the hospital, Dr. Yousef, stepped in and spearheaded his transfer to Lindsey Lodge. Ruth said,

“He could see how depressed Glyn was at the thought of spending his last Christmas in the hospital. He knew that transferring him to a place where Glyn was already familiar with, that was set up with more home comforts, would make a big difference to both Glyn and his family.

As soon as Glyn got into his room at the hospice, he instantly relaxed. His smile returned to his face at the prospect of being able to have his family around him.”

He arrived at Lindsey Lodge Hospice on 23^rd December and received even better news the following day when the team at Lindsey Lodge had managed to stabilise him enough to be able to go home for the day. Elaine, Inpatient Unit Manager, tells us more.

“Glyn made it very clear to us all that his goal was to spend that last Christmas at home with his family, and we wanted to do everything we could to make that happen. Our team worked hard to stabilise him and work with his family so he could achieve that goal. He could go home on Christmas Eve, wake up Christmas morning with his family, as long as he came in briefly on Christmas Day for his treatment.

We were so incredibly pleased we were able to do this for his family. It was clear from his and his family’s reaction how much that meant to him and will always be a memory we will treasure.”

That Christmas, Glyn got his wish. He woke up on Christmas morning, and his beloved grandson excitedly opened his stocking on his bed. He sat and played with him, shared stories with his wife and children. While his family cooked Christmas dinner, Glyn and Ruth returned to the hospice for his treatment and were then able to go back home for Christmas dinner with everyone.

Ruth continues,

“That Christmas was magical for us. It was like a genuine Christmas miracle because there were so many times that we thought Glyn wouldn’t be able to have that moment. It wasn’t sad because we were all just so happy that Glyn was able to get what he wanted most of all. The best Christmas gift is the gift of love, and that is what they gave us.”

Glyn continued under the care of Lindsey Lodge until he died on January 10, 2020.

Inspired by her time with Lindsey Lodge, Ruth started to volunteer and now helps to man our reception and help in our well-being centre. She continues,

“Our time at Lindsey Lodge was so special. They made it so I didn’t have the stress of being his carer in that moment; they took care of everything, and I could just be his wife again and love him in his last moments. I want to help in any way I can, to help more families the way I was helped. Hospices have this weird stigma, and if I could bring everyone in the country here to see what it is really like, I would. It’s such a wonderful place.”

Ruth’s story is a good example of so many of the patients Lindsey Lodge helps over the festive period. We work with the patients and their families to achieve their goals, whether that is getting home for the festive season or making their day in the hospice as magical and comforting as possible. Death is always a sad time for everyone, but here we also try to bring those moments of joy and memories that those left behind will treasure forever.