Evening Telegraph (First Edition)
Toddler is a ‘delight’ for care home residents
A CARE home in Dundee has found a novel way to brighten up the premises by introducing a “therapy baby” who has proved to be a hit with residents and visitors.
Chika Ugwoke has been working at Pitkerro Care Home as a senior carer for four years. When her youngest daughter Ziva was born, Chika decided to bring her to work so she could continue in her job.
One year on, Chika has started going to lose five stones for me — but she did it.”
After a myriad of tests to make sure the transplant would be a success — and a number of interviews to make sure Wendy wasn’t paying Mandy for the organ, or was being pressurised into the operation — the pair travelled to Edinburgh and had the procedure done.
They woke up in the high dependency unit within five minutes of one another, and i mmediately “Facetimed” each other from their hospital beds.
Mandy added: “It was just something I had to step up and do.
“It was a daunting thing to have to do but I think keeping busy meant that I didn’t really think about how scary it was.”
Mandy also told of the “surreal” experience of going through major surgery while not actually having something wrong that had to be healed.
She said: “That is something they warn you about. It is a weird feeling.
“It is really sore — the pain was the worst I had ever felt.”
Now, a year on from the operation, Wendy says she has been “given her life back”.
She said: “I can’t put into words taking Ziva, now a toddler, back into the home again on a regular basis to interact with the residents.
The youngster proved so popular she’s been given an unofficial role at the care home in Pitkerro Road.
Residents and staff have begun referring to Ziva as the “therapy baby” because of the light and laughter she brings to the home.
Margaret Fyffe, a resident at Pitkerro, how thankful I am to my sister for what she went through for me.
“My life was completely on hold. Now I can live a normal life again.
“Dialysis isn’t fun, it is the most draining thing.
“You have to sit in a room for hours hooked up to a machine.
“Then when you get home you have no energy.
“The thing about dialysis is that it strips everything from your blood.
“It takes the good stuff and it takes the bad stuff. Your whole life revolves around it.”
Both sisters said they benefited from the support of those around them, with Wendy paying tribute to the doctors, nurses and other patients she spent her time with.
Mandy also paid tribute to a Facebook group dedicated to those donating organs which she joined.
The experience led the sisters’ family to launch fundraising efforts, with Wendy’s partner Jodie and Mandy’s husband Del, taking on the Great Glasgow Run in aid of Kidney Research UK.
They have also spoken up to give their support to an opt-out organ donation system. Ourvoice said: “Ziva is such a darling. She is so smiley and self-assured, not at all like me when I was younger, and she is so happy to sing and dance with everyone. She really is a delight.”
Chika said: “I love bringing Ziva to the home. It’s healthy for her to interact with older people and not to be frightened of them, and I can see that the residents gain from it, too. I hope that this can become a regular event.”