Many of you will know Michelle through her role as Matron, overseeing our inpatient services and championing the very best care for patients and families every day.
Now, Michelle is taking on a very different challenge. On Sunday 11th October, she'll be lacing up her running shoes to take on the Run Leicester Festival Half Marathon in aid of LOROS. Inspired by the patients, families and colleagues she works alongside every day, Michelle is stepping well outside her comfort zone to raise vital funds for the hospice.
Ahead of race day, Michelle shares what motivates her, why she's passionate about LOROS and why she hopes others will consider taking on a fundraising challenge of their own:
"I instantly thought LOROS would be a lovely place to work. It isn't without its difficulties because of the nature of what we do, but I love the feeling when you come in and everyone is so kind. We always find a way to make things work for our patients.
Anything to do with our inpatients comes under me. My role is making sure everyone is well cared for. Every day is different. One day it might be taking donations for the ward, another it could be patient issues or supporting staff. It's all about making sure our patients receive the very best care.
If you work in a hospice of this size, it gives you the opportunity to get involved in so many different things. It's a close-knit environment and we're all incredibly proud to be part of LOROS.
Before joining LOROS, I spent seven years as a Palliative Care Clinical Nurse Specialist and Team Leader at Derby Hospital, following time as Deputy Manager in a nursing home. Earlier in my career, I spent 12 years in Saudi Arabia, where I helped to establish a community home healthcare service from the ground up. We started with nothing and created a service that provided palliative care for people who'd never had access to anything like it before. I met amazing people and worked alongside nurses from so many different backgrounds. It taught me so much about culture, about listening to individuals, understanding the care they wanted and being truly inclusive.
The nature of hospice work means you're with people at one of the most difficult times of their lives, but I actually get a buzz from speaking to patients and families. If I'm having a difficult day, I'll go onto the ward and spend some time talking to them. It's uplifting because, despite everything they're going through, they're so positive about LOROS and the care they receive.
I'll always remember seeing what our staff pull together for patients. Getting the cuddle beds was fantastic and then seeing families enjoying cinema nights together using them. To be able to provide that kind of care is incredible. Healthcare isn't an easy place to work, so it really helps to be proud of what you do.
Seeing some of our other nurses at LOROS take on the Run Leicester Festival has inspired me to do the same. I hate running but I realised I need to look after my own health now I’m in my mid-50s, so I started doing park runs and eventually managed to run 5k.
I knew I wanted to raise money for LOROS. I won’t throw myself out of a plane because I’m terrified of heights, but seeing other nurses take on running challenges made me think, I can do this!
Training for the half marathon is not easy. I’m up to seven miles at the moment. I still find it hard and quite daunting but knowing people have sponsored me keeps me going. I must do this because people have supported me, and I want to support LOROS services.
I see first-hand the impact limited funding has on patient care. I see the waiting lists. I see the beds we can’t open because we don’t have the funding or staffing. It’s heartbreaking to know there are people who need us, but we don’t always have the capacity to help everyone.
I keep reminding myself why I’m doing it. I can’t think of anything more worthwhile to support. If there’s something you’ve always wanted to do, why not do it and fundraise for LOROS? Whether it’s a run, a parachute jump or something completely different, every challenge helps us continue providing our care.”
