St Leonard’s Hospice is appealing to the community to help it raise £75,000 to buy five more cuddle beds, so every bedroom at the Hospice has one for patients and their families to use.
The specialist beds, known as ‘cuddle beds’, are wider than a standard hospital bed and are extendable to accommodate two people. They allow patients to be cared for, while also allowing a partner, child, friend or pet to lie beside them.
St Leonard’s Hospice currently has nine cuddle beds, which cost £15,000 each and were bought thanks to people in the community.
Nikki Smith is a healthcare assistant at the Hospice, supporting families through the most difficult moments of their lives. She’s also experienced the Hospice from the other side.
When her partner, Darren, became ill, she cared for him for months at home before he was admitted to the Hospice. She remembers sitting beside the hospital bed they had, holding his hands through the rails.
“I’d say goodnight from inches away, but it felt like miles apart,” Nikki said. “Somewhere along the way, I had stopped being his partner and had become his carer.”
When Darren arrived at St Leonard’s, there was a cuddle bed in his room. The larger, adjustable bed meant Nikki could lie beside him safely and comfortably.
“For the first time in a long time, we were together again. We talked, laughed and rested in each other’s arms. That closeness meant everything,” she continued.
Channon Barlow, head of fundraising at St Leonard’s Hospice, said: “Every family deserves the chance to be together at the end, and not have to say goodbye from a distance.
“We know how much being able to access a cuddle bed means to people like Nikki, and that’s why we’ve launched this appeal to raise £75,000 so that every bedroom can have one.
“We want to make sure that everyone who comes through our doors is able to benefit from that closeness when they need it most.”
To find out more about the Cuddle Bed Appeal and to make a donation, visit the St Leonard’s Hospice website.
