The family of a local man who was cared for in his final days at St Giles Hospice has thanked staff and volunteers as they went above and beyond to grant their fathers final wishes. 

Arthur Ramsdale, aged 92, was moved from hospital to St Giles Hospice, after living with cancer for a number of years. Arthur’s daughter, Karen, and son-in-law, Peter, have thanked the team at St Giles for reuniting him with his beloved vintage car for one last time before he died. 

Karen, who lives in Lichfield with her husband, Peter, said: “The care that my dad received at St Giles Hospice was nothing short of amazing. I cannot begin to describe the extraordinary kindness and empathy that he was shown by the staff, for whom nothing seemed to be too much trouble. Reuniting dad with his pride and joy, his vintage car, will be a memory I treasure forever.”

Throughout his life, Karen’s dad, Arthur, had always expressed his wishes to own a classic motorbike. Karen continued: “Mum, probably realising the pitfalls more than he did, wouldn’t let dad buy the vehicle of his dreams. Every week dad would take mum to the hairdressers and, unbeknown to her, he would slip home and put part of his pocket money into savings. His plan, if she died before him, was to buy himself the classic motorbike that he’d always wanted.”  

Karen’s mum sadly died in August 2013, and by this time Arthur had reached the age of 83, still saving his money all those years and had accumulated enough money to buy a classic car instead.

After allowing her father to settle in at the Whittington hospice, Karen asked the team if it would be ok for her to drive the car to the car park, and for the staff to move Arthur’s bed next to his bedroom window so he could catch a final glimpse at his car. What the team at St Giles did next truly exemplified going above and beyond for patients and their families.

Karen continued: “I only meant for them to move the bed next to the window and was amazed when they wheeled him out of his room in his bed, down in the lift and outside to the car park.  Not only that, but most of the staff also managed to grab some time to come out and chat to him about it.  He even said that he could get three of them in the car and they should go for a trip to the Cotswolds!  He sat in his bed next to the car happily chatting to them about the memories he’d had with it. I hadn’t seen him looking so animated for a long time – it was unforgettable.”

The "unforgettable” moment meant Arthur could relive the good times and appreciate the beauty of his cherished collectable for one last time. After the visit, Arthur’s condition began to deteriorate, and Karen and Peter received a call to come to the hospice as soon as possible. Karen said: “We received the call to come in on the Tuesday morning and dad passed away peacefully a couple of hours after we arrived, with both me and Peter, and several photos of his beloved MG at his bedside. One of those pictures had been taken by one of the St Giles teamon the Saturday and they had printed, laminated and placed it on the table next to him.

“We’d both just like to say a huge thank you to everyone who supported with dad’s care - the care and support we all received from St Giles really was beyond imagination – I find it a struggle to put into words. They don’t just provide care; they get to know the patient as a person so they can make those final moments so special.”

Katie Burbridge, Director of Clinical Services and Quality at St Giles Hospice, said: “It was a privilege to support Arthur and his family in capturing such a remarkable moment.

"It shows what good, holistic care for our patients looks like and the team went above and beyond to ensure Arthur’s reunion with his car would be beyond what he had imagined."

To find out more about St Giles Hospice’s services, visit: www.stgileshospice.com