Patient given chance to perform one final time with choir
Annette 'Nettie' Burtenshaw, a 64-year-old woman from Penarth, was transported from the University Hospital of Wales to Cardiff Castle to perform with her Rock Choir at the City Hospice's Forever Flowers Celebration of Life.
The journey was made possible by the Welsh Ambulance Service's Wish Ambulance initiative, which she was the 100th journey made.
Ed O'Brian, clinical lead for palliative and end of life care at the Welsh Ambulance Service, said: "Reaching the 100th Wish Ambulance journey is such a special moment for Team Wish.
"It's a powerful reminder of what kindness, teamwork and compassion can achieve.
"What makes this milestone even more special is that it's entirely driven by the incredible Welsh Ambulance Service volunteers, who are the heart and soul of every Wish journey."
The Wish Ambulance initiative, launched in 2019, helps terminally ill patients across Wales take meaningful final trips.
Journeys have included visits to concerts, sporting events, birthday parties, the beach and more.
In Ms Burtenshaw's case, the Wish Ambulance enabled her to perform one last time with her choir.
Ms Burtenshaw, who was diagnosed with uterine cancer in 2021 and later with bone cancer, described the experience as "amazeballs."
She said: "I can't put into words how much it meant to perform again with the choir.
"There was no way on earth I could have done it without the Wish volunteers, they were angels.
"From the bottom of my heart, thank you."
The program is supported by more than 500 off-duty ambulance workers who volunteer their time and use non-emergency vehicles.
Mark Harris, assistant director of operations (ambulance care) at the Welsh Ambulance Service, said: "We're very grateful and proud of our wonderful team of volunteers."
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
a day ago
- Yahoo
'I was dying and without a transplant that would've been the end for me'
A man from Cardiff had an incredible meeting with the family of the 20-year-old boy who's liver he was given during a lifesaving transplant four years ago. Ray Sherry, 61, came face-to-face with the family a couple of weeks ago when they came to support him at the British Transplant Games. "There was this instant connection when I saw them. It was just a really uplifting and happy moment because they saw that in the tragedy of losing their son someone had gone on to do something good with their life," Ray said. Ray, who works for Natural Resources Wales, found out he had primary sclerosing cholangitis in 2005 and spent 16 years suffering with the symptoms of a failing liver knowing one day he would require a full liver transplant. READ MORE: Police issue statement over Merthyr Tydfil 'stabbing' that saw road closed READ MORE: The Welsh school with the best A level results in the UK Towards the end of 2020 Ray's symptoms got worse and he began suffering with severe jaundice. Stay informed on the latest health news by signing up to our newsletter here. "My condition was deteriorating, effectively I was dying and without a transplant that would've been the end for me." After having a transplant assessment and experiencing one false alarm where he spent all day in London waiting for a transplant, Ray received the phone call which would change his life on March 3, 2021 at half seven in the morning. Within an hour he was in an ambulance and on his way up to the Royal Free Hospital in London and later that evening he found out everything was going as planned and his new liver was on its way from a hospital in Leeds by road. When the liver arrived Ray went down for his transplant in the early hours of the morning. "I said a prayer and me and the coordinator walked down to the operating theatre. I've never felt so elevated in my life as when I was walking down to the operating theatre, it was almost as if I was floating," he remembered. When he came around Ray had a new liver alongside a 22-inch scar and 37 staples in his abdomen. The operation had gone smoothly but he hadn't been prepared from the emotions he would feel when he learned a bit more about his donor. Ray was told by hospital staff that his donor had been a 20-year-old man and his organs had helped seven other people. He said: "That was it, I was in pieces. I can't explain it to this day but I had this immediate huge sense of loss inside me. Instead of feeling elevated, uplifted and grateful I just felt like I'd lost a really close friend or a really close family member. "I was gutted and in absolute pieces. I felt the pain, distress and anguish that he went through prior to him passing away. It was just so emotional." Ray admitted it took him a while to come to terms with the grief he felt for a young man he had never met before. He continued: "I had come to accept that I couldn't do anything about my donor but I needed to do the best with my life and my second chance." The organ transplant hospital were later able to put him in contact with his donor's family and they began to speak over email. "That continued for a little while and then when I went to my first British Transplant Games in 2022 they were there but they weren't quite ready to meet me and I wasn't sure whether I was either." Over the next three years they continued speaking and a couple of weeks ago they finally got to meet face-to-face when the family came to support Ray at the British Transplant Games in Oxfordshire. Ray said: "I spotted them a mile away. There was this instant connection when I saw them and we said hello. "It wasn't emotional but it was a very uplifting and happy moment because they saw that in the tragedy of losing their son someone had gone on to do something good with their life. "It was a fantastic meeting, we got on incredibly well, we had a bit of a laugh and we went for dinner at a local pub. We spent three hours there chatting about everything, anything and nothing and it was a brilliant time. Ray explained that he was able to learn more about his donor and discovered that he was a really good sportsman. He said: "His life was a tragic loss and he was in the prime of his life. I found out more about him and how talented he was, especially at sport, his parents were incredibly proud of him." "They were really delighted that I'd gone on to do something positive after the tragedy of losing their son." Last year, Ray picked up a silver and a bronze in the men's cycling at the British Transplant Games which gave him automatic selection for the Great Britain World Transplant Games cycling team in Dresden this year. He is now travelling to Germany for the event which will take place between August 17 and 24. He will be competing for GB in three races - a 10km individual time trial, a three-person time trial and a 30km road race. "I'm really looking forward to it, I've been working on it for three years slowly trying to get better and better," added Ray.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Yahoo
Seaside town's new hospital proposals unveiled - nine years after was supposed to open
Back in 2013 plans for new a £22m hospital in a North Wales seaside town were backed by Welsh Government. Under the proposal the 30 bed facility on the site of the Royal Alexandra Hospital in Rhyl, would have opened in 2016. But nine years after that projected opening date and the scheme for a new hospital alongside a revamp of the existing building has still not started. Planning was secured in 2020 but the Covid pandemic and subsequent spiralling inflation saw it stall. Now a "paired-back" scheme has been put out to consultation by Betsi Cadwaladr health board ahead of a planning application being submitted. READ MORE: North Wales city ranks among five worst seaside resorts in the UK READ MORE: Emirates imposes ban for all flights from October This would see a 14 bed hospital ward alongside a new Minor Injuries and Ailments Unit (MIAU), a dental facility, and new radiology unit. A planning statement said: "Planning permission for a previous design scheme for a new community hospital building at the site was originally granted permission back in 2020. However , progression of the previous redevelopment scheme was hit by implications from the Covid pandemic, and in-turn significant increased development costs. "Consequently, the original proposals were found to be unaffordable, and therefore the proposals have had to be rethought. In the interim period, BCUHB's development and project teams have been working hard to plan a development which will both meet the changing needs of our population and provide value for the public money being spent. "The proposed new building would represent a significant investment for the Royal Alexandra Rhyl campus to complement the retained facilities. Join the North Wales Live Whatsapp community now "Through the updated proposals BCUHB are looking to build a valuable addition to the community services provided in Rhyl, which will help to safeguard the continued use of the Royal Alexandra site for years to come. "Whilst the latest proposals have been paired-back from the previous proposals, the plans aim to incorporate as much of the previously proposed facilities as possible." The development proposals presented are for a new three storey community hospital building. Ground and first floor levels will accommodate the new healthcare facilities, with the second floor limited to accommodating necessary mechanical plant to serve the building. The statement added: "A separate programme of refurbishment and improvement works to the existing grade II listed main Royal Alexandra Hospital building are also planned to go ahead separately to the new building proposals. These refurbishment works will be the subject of a separate application in due course." Leader of the Welsh Conservatives and Clwyd West MS Darren Millar said: "Twelve years ago, the people of North Denbighshire were promised this incredible new hospital which would relieve pressures on Ysbyty Glan Clwyd and greatly improve the patient experience. 'The project has been beset by delays since the estimated costs ballooned and people have been left wondering whether the promised new facility would ever materialise. "Now, we have been insulted with massively scaled back plans, even though pressures at Glan Clwyd are worse than they were twelve years ago. "This is totally unacceptable, and the Welsh Government must now deliver on its many pre-election promises. Anything less will be an insult to people in the locality. "The Welsh Government has spent tens of millions on 20mph speed limits, unnecessary overseas offices, and tree planting in Africa, so money is no excuse for not giving us what we were promised. 'Given the dire state of health services here in North Wales, they should be looking at increasing the number of hospital beds, not slashing them." Sign up for the North Wales Live newsletter sent twice daily to your inbox Find out what's happening near you
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Yahoo
Patient given chance to perform one final time with choir
A patient was given the chance to perform one final time with her choir as part of a special final wish. Annette 'Nettie' Burtenshaw, a 64-year-old woman from Penarth, was transported from the University Hospital of Wales to Cardiff Castle to perform with her Rock Choir at the City Hospice's Forever Flowers Celebration of Life. The journey was made possible by the Welsh Ambulance Service's Wish Ambulance initiative, which she was the 100th journey made. Ed O'Brian, clinical lead for palliative and end of life care at the Welsh Ambulance Service, said: "Reaching the 100th Wish Ambulance journey is such a special moment for Team Wish. "It's a powerful reminder of what kindness, teamwork and compassion can achieve. "What makes this milestone even more special is that it's entirely driven by the incredible Welsh Ambulance Service volunteers, who are the heart and soul of every Wish journey." The Wish Ambulance initiative, launched in 2019, helps terminally ill patients across Wales take meaningful final trips. Journeys have included visits to concerts, sporting events, birthday parties, the beach and more. In Ms Burtenshaw's case, the Wish Ambulance enabled her to perform one last time with her choir. Ms Burtenshaw, who was diagnosed with uterine cancer in 2021 and later with bone cancer, described the experience as "amazeballs." She said: "I can't put into words how much it meant to perform again with the choir. "There was no way on earth I could have done it without the Wish volunteers, they were angels. "From the bottom of my heart, thank you." The program is supported by more than 500 off-duty ambulance workers who volunteer their time and use non-emergency vehicles. Mark Harris, assistant director of operations (ambulance care) at the Welsh Ambulance Service, said: "We're very grateful and proud of our wonderful team of volunteers."
