35 year old Jenny is currently being cared for at Warwick Myton Hospice Inpatient Unit. Faced with the reality that she is living with an illness that cannot be cured, Jenny set about creating a list of experiences to enjoy before she dies. And one of those was to meet her favourite animals, Penguins!
Unfortunately, Jenny’s circumstances changed at an unexpectedly rapid rate, so The Myton Hospice’s team stepped in to organise a very special surprise for her.
Working extra hard with Jenny’s family, they hatched a secret plan to find penguins to visit Warwick Myton Hospice last week …
Enter the incredibly cute Humboldt Penguins, Pringle and Widget from Heythrop Zoo! Pringle and Widget live in a specially constructed enclosure that includes their own swimming pool, pebbled beach and house where they enjoy an active social existence.
Humboldt penguins range from Peru to Chile, extending down to the far tip of South America into the Southern Ocean. Whilst used to typically hot climates they get their name from the very cold Humboldt Current. Giving the extra special ability to adjust to all types of temperatures.
Ruth Freeman, CEO for The Myton Hospices said: “We are delighted to have been able to make this possible for Jenny, along with her family and Heythrop Zoo. Our team always goes the extra mile to help patients and families create precious memories, and last week I couldn’t have been prouder to work with such caring and dedicated individuals! I would like to say a big thank you to them and to Heythrop Zoo.”
Thanks to the hard work of the Myton team, Jenny and her family were able to enjoy the experience of a lifetime while hosting their very own penguin-themed picnic.
Adoring the attention, Pringle and Widget even had time to make some other patients’ day by saying hello!
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Picture captions:Myton patients and nurses with one of the penguins; Jenny with her mum, friends and one of the penguins
At The Myton Hospices we believe that everyone matters for every single moment of their life; we focus on enhancing life when cure is no longer an option.
We have three hospices in Coventry, Rugby and Warwick, and have the only Inpatient beds in Coventry and Warwickshire. We care for people living with a wide range of terminal illnesses including Respiratory conditions, Heart conditions, Cancer, Organ failure and Neurological conditions. We are not just about end of life care, we are there to support them and their loved ones right from the moment they are diagnosed.
We are a charity and we have to raise £9.1 million of the £11.6 million we need this year to continue providing our services free of charge. Just 20% of our funding comes from the NHS. We rely on donations and support from our local communities.
Last year, despite the ongoing challenges of Covid-19 which limited our ability to offer some of our services, we supported over 1,500 people and their families, in our hospices, via our patient & family support services, and in the community through Myton at Home.
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