Olympic medallists join Kingston nurses on fundraising walk
Two members of Britain’s Olympic rowing team joined nurses on Kingston Hospital Charity’s special memory walk last month to raise money to support bereaved families.
Taking part were Team GB’s Lola Anderson, who won a gold medal in the women’s rowing quadruple skulls at this year’s Paris Olympics, and Holly Dunford, who won a bronze in the women’s eights.
“My Dad spent a lot of time receiving treatment from the wonderful staff at Kingston hospital”
Lola Anderson
The Night to Remember event, which took place on the evening of 7 September in London, saw participants walk a six and a half or 13 mile route, starting and finishing at the Market Place in Kingston.
The aim was to provide the opportunity for family, friends and colleagues at Kingston Hospital NHS Foundation Trust to come together and celebrate the lives of loved ones.
The money raised will go towards ensuring parents who have lost a child at the hospital are provided with specialist psychological support from an experienced bereavement psychologist.
Research shows that bereaved families are at a higher risk of mental and physical poor health and that psychological support is very important in helping to improve this, noted the Kingston Hospital Charity.
Ms Anderson, who was born at Kingston Hospital and is originally from Richmond, walked in memory of her father, who was treated for cancer at the hospital three years ago.
She said: “My Dad spent a lot of time receiving treatment from the wonderful staff at Kingston hospital and so it would be an honour to take part and celebrate them and the community within the hospital.”
Corrine Melian, a paediatric family liaison nurse at the trust, said: “I’m proud to have the privilege of walking alongside bereaved families – some of the strongest and bravest people, who despite their own grief, want to raise money so that other families get the best possible support if the worst happened to them.”
She added: “We support families at the most difficult and distressing times imaginable after the death of a child; and we are so grateful Kingston Hospital Charity has chosen to encourage participants in this year’s Night to Remember to raise funds to help our bereaved families.”
Lola Anderson and Holly Dunford with paediatric family liaison nurses Corrinne Melian and Jasmine Bowen
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