The Running Nurse
Kelly Foster is a Ward Manager at our hospice in Heald Green. It’s a demanding job and Kelly works hard to ensure that all her patients have everything they need and are being looked after as well as possible.
But that’s not all Kelly has done for our patients, her dedication has gone far beyond what is expected of her.
Over the last few years, Kelly has taken part in the Great North Run and the London Marathon twice, each time running in her navy nurse’s uniform, to raise money for St Ann’s.
Kelly has been inspired to take on these challenges by the patients she cares for each day.
It’s really awe-inspiring to see the strength and positivity of the patients that come to St Ann’s. Until I worked here I thought I had an understanding of what a hospice was, but even I, as a nurse, was surprised by what an amazing – and often incredibly happy – place it is.
I see the real, tangible difference that the money raised for our charity by supporters makes. Whether that’s in helping us care for a family as a loved one approaches the end of their life, providing valuable support for people who have recently been diagnosed, or giving rehabilitative treatments to someone who wants nothing more than to go back to their own home, every penny actually does impact real people’s lives.
Each event was a really hard challenge, especially as I suffer from a condition called Ehlers Danloss Syndrome which means my joints really hurt when I do physical exercise. But when the training got tough, I just thought about our patients and that really spurred me on to push that extra mile.
To help reach her fundraising target, Kelly also organised a charity ball. In total she has raised more than an incredible £16,000 for St Ann’s, and we couldn’t be prouder to have her as part of Team St Ann’s.