Furry friend who is a favourite Myton visitor
THIS Hospice Care Week we are highlighting the incredible work that goes into providing specialist palliative and end of life care. As well as our amazing doctors and nurses there are lots of other people (and furry friends) who make up our team.
Our Chaplains enable our patients and their families to explore or deepen their spirituality, no matter what it is that they may believe, and one special member of our Chaplain team is Bracken…
Bracken, a Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever, visits Warwick and Coventry Myton Hospice with owner Rosie Homer to lend patients and their families a fluffy ear!
Rosie is a Chaplain at The Myton Hospices and offers our patients and their loved one’s spiritual care throughout their stay on one our inpatient units.
We caught up with them both. Rosie said:
“As a Chaplain my role is a supportive presence for everyone - whether that’s patients, their loved ones, or staff and volunteers too. Often the label ‘Chaplain’ or wearing my dog-collar, understandably can lead to certain expectations or assumptions about what we do or the type of person I may be... however... I like to say I am not a ‘normal’ vicar.
“At the heart of Pastoral and Spiritual care is our interest in the ‘wholeness’ of a person - what makes them who they are as a unique individual, what is important to them, and affirming and supporting them in whatever that may be. We are here for people of all backgrounds and beliefs, offering an informal listening ear for anyone who would like it, and we walk alongside them through difficult times. Spiritual care comes in many different forms - this could be anything from deep conversations exploring some of the big questions of life, to catching up on the latest football scores, hearing people’s life stories and sharing photographs and memories, doing a jigsaw puzzle together, sharing an enthusiasm for watching a particular TV programme or music genre... or it may include particular religious aspects such as praying with people, bringing Holy Communion, or even arranging for people to be baptized or married in the hospice, or contacting a minister of their particular faith to visit.”
Rosie is training her three-year-old dog, Bracken, to become a therapy dog. Bracken joins Rosie on her visits around our inpatient units to bring joy to everyone he meets.
One patient in particular who has benefited from seeing Bracken is Margaret Murdoch. She said: “Seeing Bracken always brings a smile to my face and brightens my day. I love it when he jumps on my bed and sits at my feet – he’s like a hot water bottle! I used to have a dog myself so it’s lovely to see his furry face!”
Bracken’s unconditional love and attention brings a therapeutic benefit to all the patients he visits, and everyone is excited to see him when he walks through our doors.
Congratulations to the lucky winners of weekly lottery, Friday 30th September 2022. The first prize of £1,500 went to No. 134758, the second prize of £50 went to No. 292904 and the third prize of £10 went to No. 257240. If you are interested in joining our £1 weekly lottery and helping to fund the care of 1 in 4 patients, please call 01926 407902, email us at mytonlottery@mytonhospice.org or sign up online at www. mytonhospice.org/lottery