Christmas in hospital

Christmas day begins with hearing Ian McMillan, Yorkshire poet, on radio telling about a Christmas Day visit to his dying father in Barnsley General Hospital. The nurses came round delivering a Christmas present to each patient. Ian described his father's death that afternoon, surrounded by family, his bed adorned by a prominent bottle of after shave. The myrrh presented to the babe of Bethlehem was a prophecy of his death and a preparation for it.

My mother, aged 95, has spent today in the stroke unit at Scarborough hospital where she has been a patient for a month tomorrow. Her speech is clear and her brain continues to function well but she now has an unresponsive side to her body as well as other complications. My wife and I visited this morning and found her eagerly awaiting our help to open her presents - a couple of books, a box of goodies, a new dressing gown, and a framed photograph. It was very homely in her alcove shared with two other stroke victims. The staff are excellent in the care, good natured-ness, and general spirit of friendly banter. Decorations, music, and activity all shout unashamedly "You may be in hospital but we intend you still to have as happy a Christmas Day as we can manage. Your wishes are our command". She is surrounded by her Advent Card and multitude of Christmas cards from family and friends. We are able to speak with some of them in her hearing on a mobile phone. She proudly clings to her richly decorated menu card telling of Christmas fayre for today and tomorrow. A lay assistant from the chaplaincy team calls by to represent the concern and prayers which she and all her fellow patients are being drawn into in the chapel and home congregations today.

She, and we, know that she cannot return to her Methodist Care Home and that she expects to be discharged to a local nursing home later in the week. The love of family, church, NHS, will go with her and support her through this difficult transition but for today she is comfortable, calm, and at peace with herself, the world, and her God.