Rahul's story

Video credit: Flix Films

"My name is Rahul Moodgal, I've known of Royal Trinity Hospice since I was a teenager. Many friends and family have been cared for and supported by this amazing organisation, but my very personal experience dates back some five years ago.

"My late father who died in 2018 was cared for by the amazing staff at Trinity. He was diagnosed with Alzheimer's and Parkinson's in 2013 and, like all families who must deal with such news, we became insular. However, two years after my father's diagnosis we learned of Trinity's respite facility and we jumped at the chance as my Mum, who had looked after my dad 24/7, was in desperate need of a break.

"We had a very interesting initial discussion with my Dad who thought we were going to visit Trinity for the day. Upon arrival it became apparent we were going to be there for a week and he became very stressed, but never at any point did we worry that this would be a sustained feeling.

“Our expectations were of a dull, clinical, soulless, and bland setting. Our mindset was that this was a place where people go to die and, to our surprise, our thinking was wrong. We were so warmly welcomed, and they made us feel at ease immediately. Indeed, this was a place we were willing to let Dad stay and be taken care of. Everyone was friendly. They were sincere, they did their utmost to put us at ease, and no question was off limits. Never was there going to be an issue with us speaking to any members of staff or to Dad while he was in their care.”

"A day into Dad's stay he was moved from a room that was further away from the nurses, to one that was right by their desks. Dad loved to chat and to tell stories and he was always interested in people and the staff spotted this early on and took it upon themselves to make him feel even more welcome and at ease while he was there. We would call every day and find out how he was doing. The staff always said 'he's here, chatting to us'. I went to visit with my nephew every day too and Dad was happy. In the space of 24 hours he'd gone from being someone who was worried about being a prisoner to someone who felt like he was on holiday making new friends. It was wonderful to see.

"His room was spotless and modern, and he was able to rest and relax comfortably. When he was not chatting with the staff, we were able to ensure he had all his favourite things around him and to have his food and drink the way he wanted. He was so fussy. When we went back subsequently, he never worried and was always relaxed. Everyone at Trinity, to this very day, still speaks so fondly of him and remembers how cheeky he was, and how he would hold court and spoke to everyone there.

“We will never forget the care that Dad received. We will never forget how he was made to feel at home. We will never forget how lucky we are to have such an amazing organisation on our doorstep. We give gratitude every time we go past and are left with a warm and comforting feeling.”

"When Dad did pass, we received unparalleled support from Trinity. They understood how we felt, why we felt the way we did, they were supportive, reminiscent and very comforting. Mum was offered counselling sessions and she was able to talk about her own feelings, as well as being part of a small and intimate community who were all going through what she was going through.

Today, Trinity continues to be a friend to my family and have never ever felt that they cannot or should not stay in touch with us. We will forever support them and the work they do, and we have pledged to raise £1,000 for every one of Dad's 87 years as a sign of our gratitude to them.

“I created a little acronym using the word Trinity to say how grateful we are to you. T is for tremendous. R is for respectful. I is for inspirational. N is for nimble. I is for ingenious. T is for tenacity and Y for yes we can.”

"We are very lucky to live in a community where such an amazing organisation with an immensely long and rich history exists. I urge you to do your bit to help this amazing organisation, however you can. You never know when you might need them and one thing is for sure, their doors are never closed."

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