'I had my foot amputated and major operations as a child - and this is how Sheffield nurses got me through it'
As a child, Marie Tidball had to have her foot amputated at the age of just 11 months.
In the years that followed, she had to spend long spells in hospital having further treatment, including spells of up to 12 weeks while she was in body plaster, as a result of major hip operations.
Since then, she has gone on to become MP for Penistone and Stocksbridge, but has never forgotten the experience she went through as a youngster at Sheffield Children’s Hospital, going through the operations which enabled her to walk.
This week, now aged 40, she returned to visit the newly refurbished ward, meeting for the first time in decades two of the nurses who helped her cope all those years ago, Jonathan Pagdin, an orthopaedic clinical nurse specialist, and Joyce Afflick, an orthopaedic technician, whilst visiting the plaster room and orthopaedic wards.
Marie said: “It was quite overwhelming to visit the place where I spent so much of my childhood, over so many years.
“I couldn’t believe that Jonathan and Joyce, two of the nurses who looked after me in hospital, were still working there.
“It is due to the outstanding care that doctors and nurses at Sheffield Children’s Hospital, including Jonathan and Joyce, that enabled me to walk, gain my confidence, and fulfil my potential.
“I will always remember how kind, caring, and hilariously funny the nurses on the orthopaedic ward were.
“The comfort of a freshly changed bed, buttery toast post operation, a tuna mayonnaise sandwich or a game of Guess Who, were the moments that made those endless days of incarceration in body plaster bearable.
“The discretionary effort of those nurses who made that possible, on top of extraordinary medical care, is something that I have hugely appreciated ever since.
“It was fantastic to see how Sheffield Children’s has modernised, including the new helipad, which I know will enhance the quality of urgent care for children and improve their experience of the hospital.
“Thank you also to the wonderful volunteers, who are an invaluable part of the hospital, providing so much love and care to children and their families.
“Every doctor, nurse, and NHS staff, do a fantastic job, it was an honour to be invited back to the place that nurtured me growing up, and helped enable me to follow my ambitions.”
Jonathan said it was lovely to see Marie after so many years.
He said: “It’s always so wonderful to hear that former patients have gone on to achieve amazing things, and we always love to hear all about what they have been up to since receiving care with us.”
Ruth Brown, Chief Executive at Sheffield Children’s NHS Foundation Trust, said: “It was especially touching to hear all about the fond memories that she has of the care that she received from long-standing staff members like Jonathan and Joyce.
“We have made several improvements to the care we deliver since Marie’s last visit, including the recent introduction of our new helipad.
“Our commitment to continuous development is driven by our aim to deliver outstanding care to patients and families across South Yorkshire and beyond.”