Rennie Grove launches Christmas appeal to help care for people in their homes

Rennie Grove has launched its Christmas appeal to help fund the demand for its service over the Christmas period and beyond.

Focusing on the difference it can make to families to have specialist nursing care at home when time is short and particularly precious, the appeal features Fernando’s story, as told by one of his daughters, Francesca.

Recovering from a heart attack and living with diabetes, a lung condition and two types of lung cancer, Fernando was desperate to get back home when he was told his cancer was terminal.

Francesca said: “COVID-19 restrictions meant he could only have one visitor, for one hour at a time.

As I’m a nurse, my brother Michael and sister Georgina said it made sense for me to be that visitor. But that was hard – on all of us.”

Francesca says thanks to the care, planning and specialist skills of the Rennie Grove team, she and her siblings got a week with their dad in the comfort of his own home.

She said: "We moved in with him to care for him around the clock. We made him his favourite meals, played his favourite music and films, pampered him, laughed, cried and talked.

"We had some of the most important conversations of our lives that week.”

Because Fernando’s care was so complex, Francesca says that would not have been possible without Rennie Grove’s help and support.

She added: “As a nurse, I’m used to dealing with this sort of situation, but not after days without sleep and not for someone I loved so dearly.

"Each of us had Rennie Grove on speed dial and the nurses came out whenever we needed them – the middle of the night, 4am, 6am – relieving Dad of his symptoms whenever they could.”

Rennie Grove’s latest appeal aims to ensure more families get the opportunity to spend precious time together, at home, when every moment matters. Being at home, safe, comfortable and surrounded by love, feels especially poignant at Christmas.

For more about Rennie Grove, or to make a donation to the Christmas appeal visit: renniegrove.org/donate/christmas-appeal.