Abbie Nightingale has chosen to keep her memories of her beloved nan close with a very special tattoo inspired by a sketch her nan made of a hospice’s garden.
Pat Baynham from Worcester was cared for at St Richard’s Hospice for two weeks before she died at the age of 90 and loved being out in the gardens with her family.
Abbie said: “Nan loved crafts and she loved gardening. She was a doer who was always doing something with her hands.
“Naturally, when she was admitted, Nan wasn’t feeling her best self. She was more tired and had less energy, but going outside again really helped her to bloom. She was happy to be in the garden, it really perked her up! She asked for something to draw with, and the nurses were amazing in helping with this.”
Pat sketched the hospice gardens, including one of the giraffes from the hospice’s 2018 Worcester Stands Tall sculpture trail. Abbie has based her tattoo on her nan’s sketch of the giraffe, which was designed by Toyah Willcox and called ‘Touch the Wishing Stars’.
Abbie said: “The tattoo is a special memory of being outside with Nan, which is something I’ll hold on to forever. She came into her own out there. She was being funny and humorous. All the family came together, even my uncle’s dog.
“The hospice gave the best kind of end to Nan’s life and I’m so grateful. They helped us to make memories. One day, I came to visit and could hear Elvis playing in the corridor. Nan loved Elvis and she’d been helped into one of the Jacuzzi spa suites, where she was listening to her favourite music.
“Everyone was amazing and we couldn’t have asked for anything better.”
St Richard’s Hospice is an independent charity offering free, expert care for adults with an illness that cannot be cured, and support for their loved ones and carers.
Each year the hospice team supports more than 3,000 patients, family members and bereaved people in Worcestershire.
It will cost in the region of £12m to run the hospice this year, which includes patient care and all the necessary support services.
St Richard’s relies on voluntary support, including from donations, gifts in Wills, retail and events for the majority of its income with the remainder funded by the NHS.
For more information about St Richard’s Hospice visit www.strichards.org.uk