Debbie Jones

Debbie is my mum’s best friend and my godmother. She still treats me the same way she always has done.

Debbie has always been there. She is my mum’s best friend from college. I was a week old when she met me, and her warm, bubbly and caring presence has been part of my life ever since.

I have fond memories of trips to Debbie’s house. I’d play for hours in the garden with her dogs, my sister and I inventing elaborate games with Debbie’s own three children. Debbie never forgot

a birthday and was always on hand to supply hugs and sneaky chocolate bars. To this day, I refer to her as my fairy godmother, and I can now always rely on her to top up my glass with Prosecco!

When someone has known you since you were born, they witness a journey of character development, meaning they know you better than you tend to realise. Over time, Debbie has seen tantrums, teenage years and pre-university nerves. In turn, my sister and I have been to both her daughters’ weddings, our families intertwined and growing together.

Debbie was at the hospital the day after my accident. The memory is hazy,

but I can recall her smile, her familiar perfume and the warmth of her holding my hand. She provided endless support to all my family and particularly my mum, regularly driving 20 miles out of her way to take her to the station so she could visit me. My mum lived each day as though it were herself in the hospital bed. Having Debbie to look after her both practically and emotionally brought me enormous comfort.

Debbie probably doesn’t realise it, but the greatest gift she gave me was normality. She held herself together in my presence, smiling and reassuring, filling my little hospital room with hope and laughter. When other people balked, stammered or hid, Debbie treated me exactly as she always has done. She remained her usual warm, loud, funny and caring self, saying things how they were, being firm but fair and not shying away from dark humour; something I, too, used as a coping mechanism.

That’s the thing about friendship: when everything around you is shifting, the constant of love and connection simply can’t be underestimated. In the midst of emotional turmoil, the presence of people who remind you of who you are inside is a huge and powerful thing. I’ll never take it for granted.