Jo Fernandes - Harlington Hospice
I work at Harlington Hospice's inpatient unit at Michael Sobell House and first came across the Cuddle Beds at a conference i was lucky enough to attend in Canada last October. As soon as I saw these beds, I just knew my Hospice should have one.
So, I came up with the idea of raising the funds to buy one by convincing two friends to join me on an endurance horseback ride along some of the Camino Way in Spain.
We rode for 6 consecutive days some super fit and fiery Spanish/Arabian horses.
There were moments of sheer terror as we got to know the horses, but many more moments of joy as we knew we were riding for a great cause - to buy a Cuddle Bed.
My ambition was to raise enough money for one bed. To my absolute delight and thanks to the generosity of so many people, we are now able to buy two Cuddle Beds and some great pressure relieving mattresses for the Hospice.
People have been so generous, because they love the idea of these beds, that allow people at their most vulnerable to be comforted by the people they love. Craig Elwin has been absolutely GREAT throughout this adventure. He made a bed available at the Hospice to trial and has gone out of his way to help and ensure that me and my colleagues know how to use this special piece of equipment, so that we make the most of it and all of its amazing safety features. I look forward to working with him in the future as he delivers more equipment to the Hospice.