Being in hospital can be lonely. During the festive season, that loneliness can feel harder.
While others outside of hospital share meals and laughter, many patients spend long days away from family and friends.
Your gift today can bring warmth and company to a hospital bedside.
Bhavisha has lived with ulcerative colitis for 25 years. Ulcerative colitis is one of the two main types of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Last year, she needed emergency surgery and spent five weeks at the Royal Free Hospital.
During that time, our core services, which greatly improve the experience of being in hospital for patients – including massage therapy, volunteer support and peer support – became a lifeline.
“One day, a massage therapist appeared with a warm smile. She offered to massage my swollen legs with soothing oil. It was bliss. Those sessions became the highlight of my week.”
She also joined a local IBD support group run by our support hub.
“Sitting in a circle of people who truly understood me was life-changing. For the first time, I wasn’t carrying my burden alone.”
Thanks to people like you, trained volunteers visit wards with a friendly face, a cup of tea or a chat.
“Knowing someone cared made all the difference,” says Bhavisha.
*A model and an alias has been used to protect the patient’s privacy
With your help, we can work alongside NHS staff across Barnet, Chase Farm and the Royal Free hospitals, to ease loneliness and speed recovery.
could pay for a therapeutic massage for a lonely patient in pain
helps fund a peer facilitator to run a support group for patients feeling isolated
helps train a volunteer who can bring company to a lonely patient
Help us be there for more patients this winter. Together, we can help speed up recovery and help patients return to their loved ones sooner.
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