A couple that was married for 62 years was given the opportunity to say a final goodbye to one another thanks to thoughtful and caring nurses. John Wilson and his wife, Marjorie, held hands for one last time at Queen’s Hospital in the English city of Burton before John sadly passed away at the age of 92 from terminal cancer.
- John was told in May 2020 that he wouldn’t live much longer. He was admitted to Queen’s Hospital soon after, where he remained until just before his death on June 15. No doubt being able to see Marjorie one last time and to hold her hands as they will have done so many times before was a great comfort to them both.
- Marjorie, 88, was admitted to the hospital for different reasons. She was due to be discharged back to her nursing home when nurse Emma Barker had the wonderfully kind and thoughtful idea to have John and Marjorie’s beds pushed together temporarily so they could say goodbye to one another. They were able to spend 10 minutes together holding hands and just enjoying one another’s company.
- Sister Emma Barker was touched by the love between the couple. “I can’t even imagine what it’s like to be married to someone for more than 60 years and know that you’re never going to see them again,” she said. “The picture had everyone crying when they saw it – it was very emotional and powerful. To hear how happy the family were after receiving this picture has really impacted us all and the letter that they sent was so lovely. The whole reason you become a nurse is to care for people and to have moments like this. To now know that Mr. Wilson’s son will have not only this photo but also the knowledge that his father saw his mother for a final time, will remain a significant memory for me. I like to treat all patients as if they were my family and I know that I would be extremely humbled knowing someone had done that for a relative of mine.”
- The couple’s son Kurt wrote the hospital a letter of thanks. In the letter, Kurt praised the hospital for their kindness and thanked them for allowing John “to die how he wanted to, peacefully and in my arms.” Sister Emma got a special thanks.
