A West Norfolk woman has written a special poem to say thank you to staff at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in King’s Lynn who cared for her mother who was diagnosed with dementia.
Alison Watson, from Downham Market, penned it to remember her mum who died in May 2019 aged 86. She has also given a donation to the hospital’s dementia appeal which will help fund specialist equipment and activity packs to help stimulate patients with the condition.
“My mother lived with dementia for several years and was treated at QEH before she died. This poem represents how I saw her living with dementia and I wanted the hospital to have this along with a small donation to the appeal as a way of thanking the staff who cared for my her so diligently,” explained Alison.
Her poem is below:
“An evil disease tried to take you from me,
An invisible menace no one could see.
A greater injustice there never will be,
but now it’s all over your soul can fly free.
“What you made of the world I can only surmise,
An alien place that must surely comprise.
A cocktail of wickedness, strangers and lies,
The incomprehension writ large in your eyes.
“Familiar comforts you struggled to find,
As fear and confusion played games with your mind.
The words and the actions so cruel and unkind,
Are not the impression that you’ve left behind.
“For I can remember the beauty in you,
The genuine person, the spirit so true.
Those wonderful moments so real but too few,
When storm clouds would part and the sun would shine through.
“The special occasions when you were aware,
That I was your daughter and really did care.
The hugs and the kisses that we got to share,
The times when you showed me that you were still there.
“I miss you my darling with each passing day,
And treasure the good times, sincerely I pray,
That torment and anguish have now passed away,
And peace is now with you forever to stay.
“It brings me great comfort, it makes my heart glad,
To know that you’re now reunited with Dad.
No more to be lonely, no more to be sad,
The ultimate triumph of good over bad.”
If you would like to support the appeal, you can find out more by clicking https://www.radiowestnorfolk.co.uk/qeh-dementia-appeal/