It all happened so quickly. I’d been playing a silly game with my granddaughter in the garden so I wasn’t concentrating on my footing.
I fell down the flight of outdoor stone stairs.
My daughter came running out to find me in a pool of blood, screaming in pain; I had broken my knee, wrist and nose but my wrist was the worst with the bone protruding through the skin. I was a complete mess!
After a month in hospital, I was relieved to return home but I was still unable to do basic tasks around the house and so I was incredibly dependent on my Crew. My daughter set up the Gather My Crew app for me and everyone was just so wonderful.
Our close family friend was a wonderful emotional support and he got me to all the medical appointments. My children did what they could but being busy with their own families meant they had limited time to help. However it was the unexpected kindness of the other residents in my retirement village, many of whom I didn’t even know well, that really made a difference. My neighbour two doors down took care of my bins, collected the mail and ran errands for me. Three lovely ladies made sure my freezer was stocked and others took me grocery shopping once I was able to do it.
And then there were the little acts of kindness – a bunch of flowers picked from the garden, freshly baked afternoon tea and the encouragement I needed to rejoin the social activities in the village.
I was also grieving my husband who was in the last stages of Alzheimer’s and living in a nursing home when all this happened. Looking back on this dark and difficult time in my life, the kindness and generosity of all these lovely people kept me going. I’m incredibly grateful for my Crew and I’m not sure I would’ve made it through without them. 🌺🌺🌺
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