A UK television show has captured the bitter-sweet moment when a grandmother is admitted to hospital following a fall only to be overcome with pride and admiration when her granddaughter who works at the hospital comes over to assist her.
This moving story was highlighted in a recent episode of a TV show called Casualty 24/7 in the UK.
90-year-old Hazel Shaw from Barnsley, South Yorkshire was in obvious discomfort upon arriving at the hospital.
After Hazel is settled in a hospital bed with pain relief, her grandaughter Jess appears and holds her nan’s hand in the A&E ward. During this tender moment, Jess, a trainee clinical advanced practitioner, reassures her grandmother before investigating the cause of the fall.
Jess arranges for an X-ray to assess the severity of Hazel’s injuries. Diligently ensuring her grandmother receives the best care, Jess discreetly reviews the results, which reveal the fall was due to ‘wear and tear’ on Hazel’s hip.
The deterioration had caused her bone to crumble, making Hazel unstable and susceptible to falls.
“Actually seeing it on a black and white screen really brought home how tough she actually was,” says Jess, acknowledging the pain her grandmother must have endured.
Following the loss of her husband, Hazel had been avoiding hospitals and seldom revealed her pain.
“Since losing my granddad last year, she absolutely did not want to be in hospital for love nor money,” Jess explains.
“My nan is quite a stoic lady. That older generation just takes things in their stride and deals with it. I don’t think I’ve ever seen my nan cry,” Jess adds.
Despite Hazel’s aversion to hospitals, she found comfort and pride in watching her granddaughter at work.
“She knew I was a nurse, but most of this was new to her. I think that’s when it hit me that my nanna was proud of me and where I’ve got to,” Jess reflects.
Now 31, Jess has steadily progressed in her career since starting as a healthcare advisor at 18.
In an uplifting scene, Jess shares that she has worn ‘all the colours’ of scrubs, having advanced to a trainee clinical advanced practitioner, a role akin to a junior doctor.
“For me, I’m set. I’m 31 and doing the job I’ve always wanted to do,” she says proudly.
Although Hazel’s injuries did not require surgery, she was treated for her wounds and later transferred to another ward for observation.
When she finally returned home to her family’s care, her condition unfortunately worsened.
“We got her home, and for the first week she really rallied; we thought she’d picked up. And then from then on, she quickly deteriorated.”
Less than a month after her hospital visit, Hazel sadly passed away.
