Publish date: 26 September 2022
Following an Intensive Care stay at Warrington Hospital, local businessman has thanked the staff and unit with a major gift.
Laurence Barrow, director of Barrow Electrical in Bewsey, has presented the ICU with over £1,000 worth of wireless earphones and related equipment following his own stay on the ward fighting COVID-19.
The earphones, a long-standing item on the ICU’s wish list, will help patients tune out the noises of a busy ICU.
Commenting on the reason for the donation, Laurence said, “I simply donated the equipment as a very small token to aid the amazing people who save lives every day. Personally, I also wanted to say thank you for saving my life. Having COVID was the darkest and scariest time of my life and they got me through it.
“When I finally woke up, Helen Higginson Head of Fundraising at the hospital charity had arranged for my family to leave me a message on a special recordable teddy bear. I still have the teddy bear and will keep it forever to remember me of how lucky I am – and how lucky I was to have the ICU staff by my side.
“The teddy bear taught me how much of a difference having your own personal listening choices are, and the earphones hopefully will give other patients the freedom to listen to what they want and not the machine that goes ping.”
Pictured: Laurence with Head of Fundraising Helen Higginson and staff from ICU
The wireless earphones, earphone covers, and chargers donated by Laurence will help patients take a break from machine and background noises on the busy ward.
Allen Hornby, ICU Matron, was extremely appreciative of Laurence’s donation.
“We know being on the ICU is a stressful time for all our patients, made doubly so by the constant noises of monitors and other medical equipment. Wireless earphones have been on our wish list for some time, and with Laurence’s amazing donation our patients will be able to get some respite on the ward.”
The teddy bears, in which loved ones could record messages for patients during periods of visiting restrictions due to COVID, were arranged by WHH Charity, the hospitals’ charitable organisation.
For more information about the WHH Charity, please visit whhcharity.org.uk
If you would like to help or make a donation to staff or patients please call the Community Hub on 01925 662 666 to arrange or email WHH