UHNM Hero Award Winner: Children's Emergency Department

Staff in the Children's Emergency Department at University Hospitals of North Midlands NHS Trust (UHNM) have been recognised for helping make a little boy's first birthday special while he was being treated in hospital.

The team at the Royal Stoke University Hospital were presented with a UHNM Hero Award after taking time to celebrate one-year-old Otis Reynolds' birthday when he was brought to the department after becoming unwell.

While caring for Otis, Dr Jagraj Pandher, resident doctor and staff nurses Kirsty Taylor and Alina Aftab celebrated Otis's birthday with a homemade birthday card and small gift. 

Mum Clare and Dad Aaron from Abbey Hulton, nominated the team for the UHNM Hero award to thank them for "turning a difficult time into a treasured memory". 

The family returned to Royal Stoke this week to thank the team and surprise them with the award. 

Clare Reynolds, 29, said: "Otis was ill on his first birthday and we had to bring him to A&E, but the nurses and doctors made such an effort to celebrate despite the circumstances."

"It was a completely welcomed surprise, it made us feel that Otis wasn't just a patient rather he was a little boy having an important day and they wanted to make it special for him."

Dr Jagraj Pandher, resident doctor said: "It feels really special to receive this award. You don't often hear what happens after patients leave hospital, so it's lovely to know something we did made such a difference to the family."

Alina Aftab, staff nurse said: 'The best thing about working in Children's care is that we don't just treat the child we treat also the parents' concerns and reassure them, and I think acknowledging the smaller things makes a huge difference."

Kirsty Taylor, staff nurse said: "You never expect anything like this, we were just doing our jobs, but it's really nice to know that something that felt small to us meant so much to someone else."

Clare added: "I wanted to say thank you for turning what should have been a dreadful time into a special one. It's something we will remember for the rest of our lives and something Otis will hear about when he's older."

After presenting the award, Helen Ashley, deputy chief executive said: “The care, compassion and thoughtfulness shown to Otis and his family turned what could have been a difficult day into a treasured memory.”