DON'T delay! Make the most of the opportunity to say a big thank you to the health and care professionals who have made a big difference to your life, and to your loved ones, by nominating them for the South Wales Argus Health and Care Awards.

Set aside this weekend to log onto the awards website at: https://newsquestevents.co.uk/swa-health-care-awards/ to shine a spotlight on individuals and organisations who have gone that extra mile.

The closing date for nominations is Friday, October 15 – so time is of the essence.

Last year a grateful individual took the time to tell us about health care support worker Jenny Lewis, who exemplifies everything the awards seeks to celebrate.

Seeing patients go home feeling fit and well gives Jenny a huge sense of satisfaction and is the reason she’s still working in hospitals after more than 40 years.

She’s worked in various places in the Newport area over her long career. Since becoming as an auxiliary nurse in 1979, she’s helped on surgical and children’s wards for a decade apiece and spent 20 years on haematology, during which time she was part of a team that won a ‘scheduled care champions’ accolade.

Jenny has also worked for the hospice run by the St David’s Foundation, providing care and support to people with life-threatening illnesses.

Now, despite being an age when many people would have retired, she’s still supporting the Aneurin Bevan University Health Board (ABUHB) through the bank scheme.

Jenny’s devotion to looking after those coping with ill health has even rubbed off onto her daughter Hayley Gwatkin, who works in the administration department of the ABUHB’s cardiology department, and grandson Joshua Gwatkin, who works with the board’s ‘Putting Things Right’ team.

The person who put Jenny forward described her ‘outstanding commitment to her role’ and the way she had continued to work through several stressful events in her life.

“In all roles she has always put the patient at the heart of her job, taking great pride and satisfaction from caring for patients who may feel vulnerable and providing support and dignity in challenging times,” said the nomination.

“She has excellent emotional intelligence, being able to empathise with patients and their families.”

Jenny’s ability to relate to those she looks after is informed by a number of life experiences, beginning with the loss of her dad when she was young.

As a child she had thought about becoming a nurse, but the trauma of witnessing an accident in which a pedestrian was knocked down put her off this choice of career.

Later on she suffered the loss of two babies, one of which miscarried while the other was born with Spina bifida and lived just a few hours, during which time Jenny never got to see her.

It was a chance conversation with a friend while she was walking Hayley to school that set Jenny on the path that would lead to her becoming a health care support worker.

“I’ve always really enjoyed caring for people,” says Jenny. “It’s so rewarding, especially when you see patients go home well, although, sadly, this isn’t always the case.

“The hardest period of my career was working on the children’s ward, especially with a young daughter of my own.”

Jenny ‘officially’ retired three years ago, but has continued to be part of the bank scheme, to which she signed up 15 years ago, and is as busy as ever.

“I love looking after people; really it’s only what I would want for myself or my family,” she says.

South Wales Argus: logo

FREEMASONS of Monmouthshire is sponsoring the ‘Care Hero’ category in the South Wales Argus Health & Care Awards.

The freemasons have been delighted to be involved with the awards over the last five years.

They believe the awards represent a pursuit of ‘ excellence in standards’ in our communities by promoting a benchmark for the present and future.

Freemasonry shares similar ideals promoting unity and respect among individuals and a caring and charitable approach to others.

Freemasons are integral members of our local communities.

Freemasonry rests on the basis of integrity, respect, friendship, tolerance and charity, thus encouraging others to be better human beings and promoting the feeling of charity for others less fortunate.

Living with Covid 19 has amply demonstrated that our communities have amongst them many local heroes.

Through the course of our recent lockdowns, we have identified many of our members who became local heroes, voluntarily stepping up to the mark to assist the vulnerable and needy through trying times and circumstances.

The freemasons value their current partnership with the Argus, both in terms of promoting ‘excellence of standards’ and strengthening ties with local communities that they are able to support and assist, particularly the young, vulnerable, isolated, disadvantaged and elderly.