14 Sep 2022 Community

Meet The Kirkwood Nurses set to take on a Skydiving challenge this October

This October, Leanne and Melissa will take to the skies, jumping from 15,000ft to raise money and awareness for The Kirkwood. 

Having witnessed the difference our In-Patient Unit team makes on a day to day basis, not only for our patients but also their families, nurses Leanne and Melissa decided to take on a heart pounding Skydive challenge this October - and they are hoping to raise as much money as possible for The Kirkwood.

The pair are excited about their upcoming challenge, but the nerves are already starting to creep in. 

"We are scared, excited and very nervous." said Leanne. "We are doing the skydive to raise vital funds for our patients on the In-Patient Unit. Our role with The Kirkwood is to help and support our patients, their families and friends during the end of their life." 

Both Leanne and Melissa are proud to work for The Kirkwood. Both feel a strong desire to help people and, in Leanne’s opinion, being a nurse with The Kirkwood is one of the best ways to do that.

Leanne continues: "I love my job! To be able to help people in the last days of life sounds hard, but it is the most rewarding thing I have ever done.  

"We are able to provide our patients with comfort, as well as supporting their families. We go above and beyond. The smallest thing to me and you could be the biggest thing to them and seeing the impact it makes to their wellbeing is amazing!  

"I have always had a passion for helping people, even more so at the end of their lives. If I can do one thing to help a family or patient that makes the most horrendous time of their lives that tiny bit better, I know I have done my job."   

The Covid-19 crisis was a difficult period for our front-line workers, and for Leanne and her colleagues the pandemic brought many challenges. 

Adapting their working conditions to comply with the safety guidance and keep our patients safe was of paramount importance. Leanne describes the difficulties her and the other nurses faced: "We hated every minute of it! It was awful. We all had to adapt quickly. Our patients weren't allowed visitors for quite a long time. We knew it was the right thing to do, but it just felt completely wrong to us. It was not what we are about. We all struggled, mentally and emotionally. 

"It changed very quickly from what we were all used to. We could no longer provide some of the basic parts of care we value ourselves on. We weren't able to hold our patients' hands when they felt frightened, hug a relative when they needed it, or even sit down with a cuppa, and talk with them in the way we were used to.  

"It was all masks, gloves, aprons, the lot. It was very daunting for patients, not only were they coming into our In-Patient Unit, but they were coming without the support of their loved ones. Being greeted by a team covered from head to toe in PPE, unable to see us.  

Despite the challenges the pandemic threw at them, the whole team worked tirelessly throughout the pandemic, providing 24-hour care for the most vulnerable in our community and supporting their colleagues when things got tough.

"The best thing about working for The Kirkwood is working as part of this team! We are amazing! The support we give and have for each other is no less than a family! We strive for person centred care and we value the little things we do." 
 
The Skydive isn't just about taking on a personal challenge for Leanne and Melissa. It’s about doing something out of the ordinary. It’s about helping to make sure The Kirkwood continue to be there for families here in Kirklees - when and whenever they need us. 
 
Support Leanne and Melissa’s fundraising HERE.