International Nurses Day: Heart listeners say thank you to NHS heroes
12 May 2021, 06:00
We mark a very special International Nurses Day with messages of love and thanks to our NHS heroes following years of dedication and bravery.
May 12 marks International Nurses Day, and boy have we got a lot of thanks to give this year.
Throughout the coronavirus pandemic our health workers have put their own health at risk to save lives, and today we share nothing but love, support and thanks to those people.
For what they have done this past year, for what they have been doing for decades, and for what they will continue to do, we say thank you, for everything.
Check out some of the messages of thanks the Heart listeners have been sending in throughout the week to mark International Nurses Day:
"I want to shout-out a wonderful nurse. She is an upper GI nurse specialist and looked after me last year when I was diagnosed with oesophagus cancer at the beginning of the pandemic. She went above and beyond and visited me when I was having surgery and always answers my emails no matter what time of the day. She is always at the end of the phone whenever I need her. When I had my surgery (oesophagus and stomach removed) she bought me snacks which she knew I'd be able to eat whilst in hospital. My sister had recently been diagnosed with Barrett's syndrome and Karen is now being a great support to her too. She is just amazing. Plus I got to ring the bell in September last year. Karen still supports me though my aftercare and constant worries." - Unknown
"I would like to shout-out nurse Alice Booth, she has worked all through the pandemic. She is beautiful inside and out. Sadly, she lost her best friend to COVID. She works on the children's ward and is just amazing". - Lucy
"I would like to shout-out my wife. She is a paediatric diabetes nurse specialist and an all round superstar! She is now 35-weeks pregnant and still working hard caring for lots of children. She loves her job so much and works really hard, all whilst looking after three-year-old and growing a tiny person." - Unknown
"I would like to shout-out Sarah Taylor, the renal community nurse at Birmingham Children’s Hospital. She has cared for my son for the last two years following an infection that has left him needing a transplant. She is amazing!" - Unknown
"I would like to nominate my team of Community Matrons who were all redeployed during the pandemic to the Covid monitoring service in Bromley. We assessed and monitored patients who had Covid to try and prevent admission to hospital. It's been an incredibly hard year for all NHS workers and it would be great to recognise our team." - Vicky
"I am a community nurse based in Essex, I work along side a team of amazing and inspirational nurses and healthcare support workers. I qualified as a nurse early in the pandemic and came straight out to work in the community. As you can imagine our work load has increased massively due to Covid and many of our poorly patients have passed away. This amazing team of nurses have worked tirelessly going into patients' homes and giving essential medication and treatment to people with a huge variety of conditions. All while supporting me as a newly qualified nurse." - Nickie & The Hockley District Nursing Team
"I would like to shout-out an inspirational nurse, my wife. She is a NICU nurse looking after poorly babies just as our son, Issac, was when he was born at 12 weeks and one day. I was traumatised by the whole experience and yet she went back to her ward and looked after babies who were poorly like Isaac. In addition she worked throughout the whole of the first lockdown, barely seeing her family. Unfortunately in September 2020 she was diagnosed with breast cancer. She's had to have a double mastectomy and has just finished chemotherapy. She is about to start her radiotherapy. She has not complained once and is looking forward to going back to work once she's well enough. She is my inspiration."
- Unknown
"I would like to shout-out Nurse Samantha Day, who works at Clarendon Lodge Medical Practice in Leamington Spa. Sam is a nurse who looks after the frail and elderly patients in the community including those who live in nursing and residential homes. This year has been particularly challenging given how badly the homes were affected. She works with energy, compassion and ensures patient care is done with dignity and compassion. She was there to support patients, families and the carers working in the homes. She works tirelessly whilst also being a single mum of three wonderful children. She now continues to work five days a week looking after the frail, elderly and terminally ill, and on top of that works Saturday and Sunday vaccinating the housebound and care home residents. She is an amazing person. Her dedication and work ethic is unmatched. She is loved and respected by all those who work with her." - Alia
"I'd like to thank my sister Karen Howe, a cancer research nurse at Great Ormond Street. Not only has she battled with breast cancer and thyroid cancer herself during the last six years, but she has helped me through breast cancer, a broken ankle, my 22-year-old daughter being diagnosed with thyroid cancer and the death of my partner. She has looked after our elderly parents throughout Covid and continues to take them shopping every week as well as helping out her former-mother-in-law. She is a very dedicated nurse and loves her job. She is amazing. She is my rock and best friend. She is so loved and appreciated by us all." - Cheryl
"I would like to shout-out my mum Claire Michelle Waldock. She works full-time as a mental health nurse in addictions and on the weekend helps out with COVID-19 vaccinations. She does this all whilst caring for her five kids, including my disabled sister, who needs special care. She truly never has a day off. I am so proud to have her as my mum, she really is my hero. So much so I am studying to follow in her footsteps with the hope of one day being as amazing as her!"
- Unknown
"I want to give a big shout-out to Margaret Weatherill. She is a HCA who retires this week after 47 years service to the NHS. She is much-loved by colleagues and patients and will be greatly missed. Best wishes for her retirement from all her colleagues!" - Unknown
"For International Nursing Day I would like the School Nurses for Dudley to be recognised and thanked for all our hard work. School nurses do such a unique and complex role, supporting children and young people with all aspects of physical and emotional health. Many of the nurses were part of a Covid-19 team for care homes and hospitals, supporting others during the pandemic. Since then, they have returned to continue to support the families in Dudley. Considering 90% of care happens in the community, please give the fantastic team a shout-out for Nurses Day." - Unknown
"My mum Annie has been a nurse for a very long time, recently working hard during the pandemic on wards as well as teaching other young nurses. She has also been looking after me alongside working. I want to give her a shout-out for International Nurses Day!" – Jake
"Please could you shout-out to all the VETERINARY NURSES for all their hard work the last year, they have been forgotten and had to work extra hard –especially as everyone has bought new pets during the pandemic!" - Unknown
"I'd like to thank Shirley Langham, our Endocrine nurse at Great Ormond Street Hospital. Her smile and reassurance means so much. This is from Rory, aged eight, and his mum. Glad to be seeing her on Wednesday. Love to all the nurses on Kingfisher Ward." - Rory & his Mum
