Andew’s Story
In response to your request for the story behind these lovely medals, I have just purchased one for my daughter, Eloisa.
For as long as I can remember, Eloisa has wanted to be a Doctor, like her Great Great Uncle, Grandfather, Uncle and Cousin. After grafting for years on end, she obtained 12 GCSE’s, (8 A* and 4 A’s) and went on to get 3 A’s at A level. She is diagnosed with mental health issues and it has not been easy for her. She began studying medicine in 2013 at Leeds University and intercalated in 2015, obtaining a First in Molecular Medicine. She finally graduated as a Doctor in 2019 and is currently doing her 2 foundation years at Bradford Royal Infirmary and Leeds General Infirmary. She hopes to be an anaesthetist working in pre-hospital medicine and Intensive Care.
Eloisa has been working in Bradford Royal Infirmary throughout this period of Covid19, and has treated many patients with the virus. She has never complained and has turned up for shifts, day in day out. My wife and I have not been able to see her during this time, and long to give her a hug and say how proud we are of her.
This medal will be an extremely nice way of showing how much we appreciate what she has done and I thank you for coming up with the idea.
Andrew Maclachlan
David’s Story
This is for all the Staff at Cadishead Junior School in Greater Manchester. My grandson Kane is 9 and has ADHD. His mum, my daughter, has had to self-isolate. The school has remained open and given Kane education, routine and stability in these uncertain times.
David Killon
Carmel’s Story
My daughter works on the Intensive Care Unit. She works part time and also works as a Sister for Sepsis Charity in Birmingham. In both areas she tells me about the amazing team of Doctors and Nurses. They do have the correct PPE. In the beginning the staff were inundated with very poorly patients requiring Ventilators and dialysis.
Sometimes she found it emotional dealing with relatives over the phone something she is very used of doing but the COVID patients changes in patients were sometimes very quick and dramatically deteriorated so relaying the information to relatives sometimes was difficult. I am so proud of her and her colleagues they work so hard and then go home to their families. The Hospital have got a great workforce. I hope the Government do not forget them when all goes back to normal. They are highly skilled and deserve higher wages. It is wonderful how the country has acknowledged this.
Carmel
Mag’s Story
I purchased a medal for my son to show him we are so proud of all he has achieved and the work he is doing at present is mind blowing. We FaceTime and I think to myself you look so tired, so exhausted 😩.
His fiancée wrote this lovely tribute about my son and I wanted to share it with you. So proud of both of them.
I have had the privilege during lockdown to be able to watch and learn what my fiancé’s job entails. Whilst I will never truly understand all of the ins and outs, I now definitely have a deeper understanding and appreciation than I did before when his work took place outside of the home. A medical Doctor and public health medicine consultant and only in his early thirties, prevention is his focus as well as protecting whole populations from Covid-19.Covid-19 has been a challenge and learning experience collectively for all of us and our home has been no different. The workload Jonas is under is a lot to fathom, 200 emails a day with all of them urgent. Conference calls Monday- Friday at 8am and even when he’s ‘officially’ clocked off he won’t finish till midnight. His free time, weekends and such also taken up with dealing with the crisis. The by-product of an underfunded public health system, where prevention is often deprioritised, he is essentially doing several peoples jobs right now. He is working with 6 local authorities and two NHS systems on everything covid related and all of the usual health issues that we as humans deal with. Big decisions in policy and lots of forward thinking and planning to keep us as safe as possible. For my part I’ve been doing all I can to look after him, home cooked healthy dinners and scheduled fun and exercise. He’s wonderful at looking after others but not so great when it comes to himself which I find to be the case with people who are by nature givers. There have been tears from exhaustion and frustration but he has soldiered on fulfilling his purpose whilst still finding time for a smile and a cuddle. It goes without saying I’m immensely proud of him and the tireless dedication to his work. Thank you for taking the time to read this.
Sending warm wishes to all heroes.
Mags.
Proud mum.
Nicola’s Story
I have never been more proud of my family, especially now at these very trying and scary times.
My eldest son is in charge of keeping South Yorkshire Ambulances on the run and his partner looks after the ambulances catering for the overweight patients that need hoists to enable them to be taken for treatment.
My youngest son is a Firefighter in Greater Manchester brigade, due to the unusual dry weather since March they have been inundated with moors fire on top of the usual residential and workplace fires, and are helping in the Covid fight. As usual they have also assisted police with potential suicides, the only plus side to his job are the reduction of car crash incidents due to less traffic on the roads and motorways.
I have purchased the NHS heroes medals for my three Granddaughters as keep sakes and reminders of the heroic deeds done by their Daddies and Mummy during this horrible time, and with all the other brave workers that have kept us all safe, God Bless them all.
Thank you for this wonderful idea as a token of our appreciation,
Yours Nicola Kiley
Tracy’s Story
This medal was purchased on behalf of my Mum who has bought for myself. I have been redeployed from my department to the wards nursing Covid Patients. I haven’t worked on the wards in 24 years therefore it’s been a steep learning curve and very stressful. I have been challenged skill wise and emotionally because one of wards I’ve worked on was the Covid palliative care ward where patients came so we could make them comfortable in there last days. I’m still working on the wards and every day I’m learning new skills and gaining more knowledge which I will be able to take back to my department and use to train others. My mum is very proud of what I do especially now because she knows how challenging it is for me.
Thanks
Tracy
-UPDATE-
I received my medal today, it’s truly beautiful and I will treasure it forever. I will be showing everyone it because I am so proud to get one.
I hope that lots of people buy these medals for all the special people that have kept the NHS and other services going during the outbreak.
Thanks
Tracy
Sheila’s Story
My son lives alone, many miles from his family. He is a police officer. Both parents have been shielding and not seen our son for 14 weeks now. He has been unable to meet up with friends for company but had to put his life on the line for everyone by patrolling and arresting, travelling in cars with criminals, risking being spat at and the police have had so little recognition or mention. Thank you for making it possible to remember our police heroes for eternity.
My son received his coin today in the post, less than a week after ordering. He knew nothing about it and was so delighted with it. It arrived on a day off so he was there when it was delivered. He rang me straight away and the joy in his voice was so clear to hear.
As he said, this virus will go down in history, his grandchildren will be learning about it as we learnt about such things as the great fire of London. There are so many things put there to show the thanks for the NHS, and rightly so, but there is very little for the rest of the emergency services. This is something he can keep and remember the hard times when this is all over. Something he can be proud to own and something that can be shown to generations from now. He had not seen the coins advertised anywhere so knew nothing like them existed.He was genuinely surprised, grateful and touched by the thought.
Thank you for remembering all our emergency services and key workers without who none of us, not even the NHS, would have got through this bad time.
Keep up the good work.
Thank you again.
Sheila Hebbron