During the ongoing public health crisis, good news can be hard to come by. Thankfully, here’s one story that’s likely to warm your heart.
Ken Benbow, 94, lives at Thistleton Lodge Care Home, Lancashire. A D-Day veteran, Benbow had been living alongside his wife, Ada, until she sadly passed away recently.
The couple had been married for over 70 years. Until recently, Ken slept with a picture of his late wife by his bedside – then staff at the care home stepped in.
In secret, Ken’s carers had Ada’s picture printed on to a pillow, offering the former Navy recruit a more tactile memento in this stressful time.
A video of Benbow receiving the gift quickly went viral, resulting in tugged heartstrings the world over – but that wasn’t the end of the story. It turns out that staff at the care home are going the extra mile during the unprecedented health crisis, and it goes far beyond personal gifts to the residents with whom they work so closely.
After noticing that Ken slept with a photo of his late wife every night, one of the carers at Thistleton Lodge presented him with this incredible gift… pic.twitter.com/Q1v8V8HUFS
— The Manc (@TheMancUK) April 20, 2020
During a subsequent appearance on Good Morning Britain, ITV’s breakfast show, it was revealed that Kia Todin – the carer who presented Benbow with the gift – has moved into the care home in order to safeguard residents during the outbreak.
Government ministers have described at length the need for such institutions to be on ‘war-time footing’ given the heightened risk posed by the disease to the elderly.
Todin, 17, said that she had “the most amazing job in the world.” Benbow was naturally thrilled, describing Thistleton Lodge Care Home as the “best place in the world at present.”
“[The pillow is] the most precious thing anyone could have wished for,” he continued. It just goes to show that key workers, such as care home staff, always have been and always will be key.