Yesterday, Monday, 20th October, members of the Friends of Johnson Community Hospital gathered with Heather Chambers’ family and nurses at the hospital to honour her memory and her remarkable contribution to our Charity.
Heather was a dedicated member of the Friends for around five years, working tirelessly to raise funds to help buy equipment for the hard-working nurses and to provide comfort for the patients. Her speciality was the tombola, which she organised with great enthusiasm and success — her efforts raised a significant amount of money over the years.
Heather was more than just a valued member of our Charity; she was a dear friend to so many of us. Her kindness, sense of humour, and unwavering commitment will never be forgotten.
To commemorate Heather’s life and her wonderful contribution to the Friends, a memorial bench has been placed in the entrance of Johnson Community Hospital — a lasting reminder of her caring spirit and dedication to others.
It was a privilege for us to meet with Rich, Pat, Chris, and Jordan Howlett this morning to personally thank them for Heather’s years of service and to reflect on the special part she played in the Friends’ Charity.
During the gathering to honour Heather, it was especially moving to have Heather’s grandson, Jordan Howlett, open the proceedings. Jordan began the ceremony with a heartfelt tribute to his grandmother.
Here’s what he had to say:
” Thank you all for joining us here today to dedicate this memorial bench to the life of Heather Chambers. Heather’s life long passion was to work and help within the community. Throughout her life she held long standing positions within the Lincs and Notts Air Ambulance, The Women’s Institute and The Friends of the Johnson Hospital to name just a few.
The placing of this bench for use by visitors, patients and staff will be a fitting tribute to Heather and a lasting reminder of the dedicated work performed by The Friends of the Johnson Hospital.
Thank you all for joining us today.”
The Howlett family also wanted to share the following:
“Mum’s (Heather Chambers) lifelong passion was to work for and give help to the community.
So, no surprise then, to find that when the occasion arose to join the Friends of the Johnson Hospital she embraced the opportunity to contribute to this dedicated group of fundraisers, little knowing that one day she would benefit firsthand from the group’s endeavours.
As Mum said to me whilst on the Tulip Suite “We raised funds for numerous pieces of equipment and furniture here, to include Patient Televisions, Recliner Chairs, Patio Sets, all to aid nurses in their work and to help care for patients”.
For mum it was truly a place she felt comfortable and relaxed.
The private en-suite room on the Tulip Suite was spacious and very welcoming for family and visitors. Nursing staff immediately put mum at ease and always with a smile and a friendly story to tell. For the family we were welcome to visit any time of day or night and greeted with a smile and friendly words. Every day we visited mum, morning, afternoon, evening, she always had a smile and commented on the kindness shown by all the staff. For mum, there was nowhere else she would have wanted to be. So, it was disappointing to mum, the family and close nursing staff when the system dictated that she had to move to a nursing home for her final few days.
Thanks must go to all the staff who cared for mum with such dedication, devotion and kindness and for their appreciation and understanding of mine and the families wishes to keep her mindset positive and spirit strong.
As I recall saying to nurses on many occasions: “Mum has always had an optimistic and positive outlook on life and I want her to maintain this to the end… and while this disease is destroying her body, we are not going to let it destroy her spirit”… Thanks go to all, for helping us achieve this goal.”
Heather’s legacy will live on — in the comfort she helped bring to others and in the memories of those who had the privilege of knowing her.
In the pic – Fran Wray (Support Services Team Leader); Rosemary Lloyd (Friends’ member and hospital volunteer), Rich Howlett (son), Pat Howlett (son) Chris Howlett( daughter-in-law), Jordan Howlett (grandson) Lesley Anderson (Healthcare Support Worker), Jean Hill (Friends’ member) and Lisa Charters (Nurse).
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