Posted on: 17 October 2022
"The bench will welcome people for many years to come; to have a chat, sit down while they wait for a cab or just simply enjoy the sunshine. Proving that one’s qualities never go as they are remembered and enacted through our loved ones."
They say sometimes thank you isn’t enough but I’m sure all NHS staff would agree a thank you from a grateful patient and their loved ones is more than enough, and everything else is a bonus. This is one of those times, a heartfelt thank you came with an unexpected but welcome bonus.
Ujemben Davda was a patient being treated at Brent Memory Clinic, she suffered with dementia in her later years and sadly passed away recently.
Sonia Davda, Ujemben’s daughter, was really thankful for the care the team provided her mum, so gifted a bench in her mother’s honour.
Sonia remembers vividly all the times she was personally supported in addition to her mother, “When my mum was treated here, she received a five-star service. It wasn’t just mum, I also received a lot of support from the memory clinic and I’m eternally grateful.”
At the memory clinic with her mum, Sonia noticed all the people outside standing as they wait for someone to pick them up, so when she wanted to do something to honour her mum and say thank you to the Brent team, she had the idea to donate a bench.
Donating the bench wasn’t quite enough for Sonia, she also donated plant pots and flowers to sit alongside the bench and then paint it all with flowers – but, it wasn’t chore as she loves to create - “I take after my Dad, anything creative I’ll do it.”
David Warshaw, Brent Memory Clinic Administrator, said “It can be difficult to go through the dementia journey with patients and families but to get positive feedback like this just lets us know what we’re doing is helping.”
Dr Abhishek Shastri, Consultant Psychiatrist spoke about how touching the donation was, “Each time you look at it you remember the nice gesture and it boosts our ability to serve people – it’s an inspiration that reminds us how valuable it is to have such relationships.”
Sonia is now part of the CNWL family! David said, “All the clinicians love working with Sonia, she has become such a valuable part of our team.”
Sonia regularly sees the team out of work too, inviting them around to her home for BBQs and the Festival of Holi.
Dementia is an illness that can take the inner beauty of a person away, suddenly they’re different to who they once were.
Sonia said – very proudly – “My mum was always so welcoming, she would welcome everybody into our home and I hope I can take a bit of that from her.”
The bench will welcome people for many years to come; to have a chat, sit down while they wait for a cab or just simply enjoy the sunshine. Proving that one’s qualities never go as they are remembered and enacted through our loved ones.
The welcome nature of Ujemben will always be known and not forgotten.
