Thanks to hospital 46 years on
A man has left £5,000 to The Robert Jones and Agnes Hunt Orthopaedic Hospital to thank the hospital for the treatment his stepson received as a child almost 50 years ago.
Mike Goode as just 13 when he was told he may never walk again because of a hip injury he suffered in an accident when he was playing.
His family heard about the then pioneering new surgery being offered at the Orthopaedic. He arrived at the hospital and the treatment saw his mobility gradually improve within months and he was able to get back on his feet.
His stepfather, James Hutson, who died in September left the £5,000 to the hospital in his will.
Mr Goode and Mr Hutson’s sister Mrs Brenda Owen recently visited the hospital to personally hand over the cheque to Bev Tabernacle, the hospital’s Director of Nursing and Deputy Chief Executive.
There were given a tour of the hospital, shown the £15.1 million Theatre and Oncology building and heard about the projects that have taken place in recent months, as a result of funds donated to the RJAH Hospital Charity.
Mrs Owen, from Warrington, said: “It was good to actually come into the hospital ourselves to find out about the great work that’s done here, and to also get a bit of an idea of the types of projects the money James has left will go on.
“We promised James we would come in personally to present the cheque to the hospital and that’s what we’ve done. James wanted to leave some money here because of what they did for Mike all those years ago and the difference it’s made to lives of the family.”
Mr Goode, 59, from Sandbach, said: “It was interesting to come back and see just how much the hospital had changed. To this day I’m grateful for what the hospital did for me, so it’s nice that it’s come round almost full circle really. I think I was the 13th person to have the surgery that was performed on me all those years ago, which signals how ahead of its time the hospital has always been.”
Bev Tabernacle said: “Mr Hutson’s legacy donation is an extremely generous one and one that will make a real difference to our patients and staff.
“Just some examples of recent expenditure from charitable funds includes money towards our new Theatre and Oncology building, small comforts for our patients on the children’s ward and Midland Centre for Spinal Injuries such as birthday and Christmas presents, craft materials, toys and DVDs, a refurbishment of our care of the elderly ward, including painting different areas in those colours to which patients with dementia best respond to, and much more.”
