Dalvinder Kaur-Kelly and her family are raising funds for the Critical Care Department at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham in memory of her mother, Joginder, who was treated there before sadly passing away from COVID-19.

Dalvinder wanted to raise money in her mother’s memory and set up a fundraising page which has already seen donations of £3,888. Dalvinder said: “I lost my much-loved mother to COVID-19 on 30 October. During her final days, my mother was cared for by the truly amazing doctors and nursing staff at the Critical Care Unit at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham.

Joginder is pictured above in a photo taken on Christmas Day 2019, centre, with Dalvinder and her husband Paul on the left, and Joginder's son Gurbinder with his wife Daljinder on the right.

“They treated my mother with the upmost respect and dignity and they made every effort to meet my mother’s physical, emotional and spiritual needs. I will forever be grateful to them for the kindness, respect and warmth that they showed my mother.”

The pandemic has meant that patient visiting to the hospital has been severely restricted. That is why UHB Charity has funded over 500 iPads that have been distributed across the Trust, enabling patients to speak to their loved ones via video-call.

Dalvinder and her family were able to speak to Joginder using one of these iPads. Dalvinder said: “My last conversation with my mother was on 6 October through a family zoom call. During this call we were able to tell my mother that we loved her and she said she loved us too. This was the last time we saw her with her eyes open or spoke with her.

“Being unable to be with a family member who is critically ill is devastating for all concerned, particularly the patient. I hope that through our fundraising we are able to help others to maintain family contact with their loved ones during their time of need.”

Since the outbreak of the pandemic, UHB Charity’s NHS Superheroes appeal has been supporting staff and patients across the hospitals. UHB’s staff members, and especially those on Critical Care, have been working harder than ever in incredibly difficult circumstances.

Dalvinder said: “There were occasions when I called the ward a number of times each day for an update as to my mother’s critical condition. Despite being so incredibly busy, each time I called the nursing staff spoke to me with kindness, understanding, and empathy.

“In the hours leading up to my mother’s death, despite a registrar being on duty, the consultant caring for my mother came into the hospital, during the night, to speak with me in person. She informed with me with such kindness, compassion and sensitivity that my mother was at that time dying.

“I believe the NHS staff who cared for my mother during her final days went over and beyond their duty. Thanks to them, I was able to take some peace from knowing my mother was receiving the best possible care available.”

Charlotte Schofield, Director of Fundraising at UHB Charity, said: “On behalf of everyone at UHB Charity I would like to express my deepest sympathies to Davinder and her family on the loss of their beloved Joginder.

"Despite the deep pain clearly felt by the family, it is moving to hear them speak so warmly of the team that treated Joginder at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham.

“We are so grateful to all of our donors and supporters who have enabled us to purchase iPads for our hospitals, allowing families to see and speak to their loved ones in hospital. Joginder’s example demonstrates the difference that the iPads can make at an unbearably difficult time.

“Thank you to Dalvinder and to everyone who has made a donation in memory of Joginder. Thanks to your support, we will be able to help even more patients on Critical Care, as well as continuing to support our incredible  NHS heroes who are working on the frontline of the fight against COVID-19.”

You can make a donation in memory of Joginder here.

Find out more about how UHB Charity is supporting its hospitals throughout the pandemic here.

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