Published on: 29 November 2023
Tim and Alison Blackburn have donated diabetes training devices in honour of their late mother and mother-in-law, Rose, who was a long-standing patient with the service, managing her own type 1 diabetes for over 60 years.
Rose, who has been called a very special patient by the team, was well known and respected by all of the team and had watched and supported many of them as they developed their careers.
As a keen advocate of diabetes care, she would often, when attending appointments, talk to the student doctors about how things had changed over the years, with them listening avidly on how treatment has changed over the decades.
When Rose sadly passed away her family wanted to do something in honour of the care that she had received from the diabetes team, so they asked loved ones attending her funeral to donate towards the diabetes centre. They then purchased an educational resource called “Boozed and confused night time goggles” to use in our young adult diabetes clinics. These will help stimulate discussions about managing their diabetes with alcohol and driving in a fun way.
Dr Sukamar, who runs the young person diabetes clinic said “We would like to say a big thank you to Rose’s family for their kind donation to our service. The Goggles will provide a vital training resource.”
A huge thank you from everyone at George Eliot Hospital who will remember Rose and her impact on the service for a very long time.