Sam's Story

During the worst of the Covid outbreak, I lost my dad. He went into Llandough for a kidney stone and ended up catching Covid while he was there. Just a week later, he was gone. I wasn’t allowed to visit him at all because of the restrictions, and that’s something I still carry, a sadness and guilt I don’t think will ever fully leave me. Not being there… it hurts.

Fast forward to March 2023, when I started working at Care in the Vale. One day stands out in particular. I was caring for this lovely man who was terminally ill. I was just washing his feet, a simple moment, nothing out of the ordinary, when he suddenly reached out, put his hands on my head and said, “Your dad’s looking down on you. He’d be so proud.” I honestly froze. I hadn’t told him anything about my dad. I just broke down crying. It was like, in that moment, something clicked. I knew I was exactly where I was meant to be.

Another moment that’s stayed with me was around Christmas last year. We were caring for this couple, Joan and Ted. Ted ended up in hospital after having a fall, and Joan was sick at home with Nora virus. I didn’t want them to miss each other over the holidays, so I visited Ted on Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and Boxing Day, just so they could FaceTime. The love between them was something else. Then, for their anniversary, I brought a bouquet. Ted used to call Joan his “best wife”, so I asked her to pop out for a bit, gave the bouquet to Ted with a tag that said, To my best wife, and when Joan saw it, her whole face lit up. It was one of those beautiful little moments that make everything worth it.

One of the clients I used to care for was 99 years old, full of wisdom. He always told me, “If you want to do something, do it today, you never know what tomorrow will bring.” I think about that a lot.

I really love what I do. My dad, when he was alive, was like this steady tree who always shielded me from life’s storms. Now it feels like it’s my turn to be that tree, for others, and for myself. To carry on something he would have been proud of.

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